


Nine Lives (Endless Possibilities)

by Missfoxx21



Series: Cat Cafe AU [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cat cafe AU, Eventual OT6, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, NB Pidge, OTPaladins, Polydins, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, REQUESTS CLOSED, Rarepairs encouraged, Ship Pidge with everyone, genderfluid pidge, mention of animal violence and animal death in chapter six
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-18 00:44:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 23,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7292671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missfoxx21/pseuds/Missfoxx21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Cat Cafe AU no one asked for but everyone is getting! In which Allura owns a popular cat cafe and has to deal with her childish employees while trying to avoid being bought out by Galra Inc. Fluff, silliness, and the SFW companion to some self-indulgent porny drabbles I might fill. Open to prompts/requests!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which Lance gets a new job

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, guys! New story and this one is to fill requests. You can either comment with what you want or send me an ask on Tumblr to Missvulpix212.tumblr.com! I will NOT fill any Keith/Lance prompts though for the initial few chapters as they are many, many, MANY of those fics out there and I'd like to focus on less common pairings. This first chapter will be an intro. All the characters are college-aged unless stated otherwise.

"Lance Javier Esparza Hernandez, you wake up right this minute!" Lance groaned and tugged his pillow further over his head. His mother had been pressing him to get a job since the day he graduated high school. She and his father had decided that he, like all his siblings, would have to earn enough money to cover half of tuition to the college of his choice. While his siblings had landed jobs at the local theme park, Lance had been deemed a "menace to the populace." Okay, so yeah, he took the bumper cars for joyrides and yeah, he flirted with every pretty little thing that passed his booth but could you blame him?!

He groaned and pushed himself up. "Coming, mom!" He tugged on a clean-ish shirt, some jeans, and grabbed his favorite jacket. He yawned as he walked down the stairs. "What's up?"

"What's 'up', mi hijo, is that your dear friend Hunk has an opening at his job. He wants you to stop by to see if they'll accept you. I already filled out the application he dropped off earlier while you were sleeping the day away!" Lance flinched at his mother's frustrated tone. He glanced at the clock. Noon on the dot. No wonder she was pissed. "Now I want you to neaten up and go there this minute, understand?"

"Yes, mom." He answered. Normally he'd be more flippant but the fire in her eyes gave him pause. He flashed her a slightly off-center smile which lessened the glare, if only slightly. "I'll get right on that."

"Good." She sighed and patted his cheek with her hand. "I don't mean to get so mad but I worry about you. We can't take care of you forever and I know, if you put your mind to it, you could do great things! But you need to try."

He nodded and smiled more honestly. "I will, mom, I promise."

* * *

 

He followed Hunk's directions to Nine Lives, the small cafe only a short walk from his home. While he had never spent much time there himself, Hunk couldn't seem to shut up about the place. How it took in abandoned cats and helped rehabilitate them so they could be re-adopted, how everyone there was so cool, how the owner was strict but so nice. Lance sighed. 

"You know you're at the bottom of the barrel when you agree to work for a crazy old cat lady. What kind of old-fashioned name is 'Allura Altea' anyway?" He considered skipping out on the job to go see if the arcade nearby would hire him but...Hunk had been his best friend since junior high. Like hell he'd not even give it a shot when Hunk was sticking his neck out. He turned the corner to see the cafe. It was a somewhat stylish looking place with a vintage, antique vibe. All the cat trees near the windows looked to have been made out of recycled materials. Several cats lounged on them.

One in particular caught his eye, a bouncy siamese. It meowed at him through the glass and rubbed it near where he could see his face reflected. It sat back on its hind legs and mewled at him, as if to call him over. He smiled and as he got closer, he watched a beautiful young woman pick it up. Through the glass, he heard a muffled "Azul, you know better. Come on."

The woman had dark skin, bright blue eyes, and long, silvery white-blonde hair. She looked his way, smiled, then vanished as she walked away from the window. The cat was still in her arms, though it meowed at him again as it stared at him over her shoulder. Lance was in love.

He pushed open the door to see if he could find out anything about this mysterious beauty. Instead, he was greeted with his worst nightmare.

There, in a tidy little butler outfit, was his rival, his enemy, his most despised nemesis. 

_Keith_.

Keith stared at him with that infuriatingly blunt gaze he was infamous for. His black mullet was pulled into a neat ponytail and he had a menu in his hand. "Welcome to Nine Lives," He drawled, "Would you like a table or to sit at the bar?"

"Keith." Snarled Lance as he slightly crumpled the application in his hands. Of course, Keith must have snuck in first to steal the job! That jerk. Well Lance wasn't about to let that stand.

"Yes," said the vile monster known as Keith as he stared at Lance, seemingly without any understanding of the situation, the dick, "That is my name. Can I help you...?"

"Figures I'd find you here. Stealing my job, breathing my air." Lance narrowed his eyes. Keith also narrowed his. He still seemed to have no idea about what was going on, but he wasn't about to turn down a fight. "Even after all this time, you still try to be one step ahead of me."

"I don't know who you are or what you are talking about but I do know I don't like your tone." His voice was low and quiet but there was a hint of steel to it.

"It's me! Lance? You know, we were in the same classes together? Remember? Lance and Keith, neck and neck." Keith stared at him before his eyes widened just a hint.

"Oh now I remember." Lance smirked slightly. "You're the idiot that would always try to show off until you inevitably made a fool of yourself." The smirk became a scowl.

"I'll show you a fool, you-"

"Keith." A calm voice spoke up from the back. A strapping young man with dark hair in a crew cut, save for a fringe of shocking white hair, approached them, he in his own butler-esque outfit. "What's going on up here? Everything okay?"

The first thing Lance noticed was how inexplicably handsome this man was. The second was the hair and the scar across his nose. The third was the  _freaking badass robot arm_  the man had to replace over half of his right arm. It looked practically identical to a human hand in design, save for the grey coloration. Lance stared up at the man, his jaw agape.

"Holy crow," he murmured, "You're Takashi Shirogane, the war hero! You were on tv! I, you, Madre de Dios, can I get your autograph?" Keith frowned at Lance, a bit annoyed. Takashi smiled and blushed a little.

"Just Shiro is fine and...I'm hardly a hero. But perhaps later?" He held out his robot hand. "Lance, right? I heard Hunk telling Allura that you'd be stopping by to apply for work. Come on, I'll take you upstairs. Keith, would you and Pidge cover my tables while I'm gone?"

Keith nodded and walked off. Lance made a face behind his back. He'd deal with the jerk later.

Shiro walked toward a door marked "Employees only" and Lance happily followed. It wasn't every day you got to hang out with your hero. Though he wondered why Shiro, famou former POW and possible supersoldier ala Captain America, would work in a cat cafe of all places.

"The main office is back here and up these stairs. To your right is the kitchen where Hunk works. He mentioned you used to help at your family's restaurant before they sold it, right?"

Lance looked down. A tiny ember of rage lit in his chest as he remembered how his parents had lost their prized restaurant. It had been more of a coup than a sale. "Yeah. Sure."

Shiro glanced back but nodded. "Allura is upstairs. She'll be happy to meet you and go over your application and resume. You did bring your resume, right?"

Lance nodded. "Yeah. I emailed a copy on the walk here and I have the hard copy in my bag. So, uh, can I ask...what's with the getups? I mean, why butlers? Are their maids? Is this a maid cat cafe?" Shiro chuckled slightly.

"No, no. Everyone, regardless of gender, wears this outfit. Allura likes it because she said it compliments the feel of this cafe. Like you're dining in luxury while there are gorgeous cats to play with. In her culture, only the extremely wealthy had pet cats." Lance nodded. His mother had said it was the same way in Mexico where his family came from.

"Yeah, I get that. It is a fancy place. So this Allura lady, is she nice? Hunk says she is but I dunno, old ladies are kind of hit or miss with me."

Shiro paused and looked back at him. He seemed like he was about to say something but decided against it. "Nevermind, you'll see when we get up there." He opened the door and stepped into a well-furnished room with several large couches, a coffee table, and a TV against a wall. The lovely young woman from before sat primly on the couch, the siamese on her lap.

It jumped to its feet when he entered and galloped off of the woman over to him. The cat, Azul, rubbed against his legs happily and meowed up at him. Lance grinned and picked it up before he could stop himself. "Hey there, buddy. Nice to meet you. Geeze, aren't you friendly? Ah, hey!" He laughed as the cat rubbed its face against his, then crawled out of his arms to lay across his shoulders. He kept petting it as it purred happily.

He had almost forgotten about the woman until she chuckled. "It seems Azul likes you. She's one of the friendliest cats we have but I've never seen her take to someone like she did with you just now, mister...?"

"Lance. Lance Hernandez, miss. And may I say out of all the pretty kitties here, you are by far the prettiest." He moved over to her, the cat still on his shoulders, and took her hand. As he bent over to kiss it, the cat's tail flicked in front of his mouth so all he got was a face full of fur. "Geeze, Blue, you're killing me here."

The woman chuckled. Shiro remained by the door, his arms folded but there was a fond smile on his face. 

"I am Allura Altea. Welcome to my humble cafe. We've been needing a new waiter since our last head waiter, Coran, had a bit of an accident. He'll be alright but he won't be lifting anything heavy for quite some time. Our chef, Hunk, said you'd be a fine man for the job. And your resume, despite some...interesting commentary from the theme park, was otherwise spotless."

He grinned. "Well, I do have some familiarity with restaurant work."

"So I see. Might I say your mother is a very polite, honest woman. And if your interaction with Azul was any sign, I can see you are a natural with cats."

He shrugged. "Cats, babies, anything cute and small really. Mom called me the baby whisperer since I could always get my younger siblings and cousins to calm down."

Allura smiled. "Wonderful. We do sometimes get younger customers who are less than gentle with the cats. It'd be nice to have someone who can help corral them without too much issue."

Shiro flushed slightly. As much as he liked kids, he would often end up so awkward around them. 

"Normally I'd look into other applicants but time is an issue here...Lance, would you be willing to start training today? Payment would start at minimum wage but you keep any tips you earn unless you'd like to split them with the others." She smiled again and it was like his breath was stolen away. 

"How does that sound?"

Lance looked at Shiro, at Azul, then back to Allura. It would mean working with Keith more than likely but hey, that was doable if it meant honest pay and more time with the most awesome person in the country.

"Sounds great! When do I start?"


	2. In which Pidge has a secret (not the one you expect)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Anon on Tumblr requested a Lance/Pidge fic and so I will bring you a chapter of that very thing! Hope you enjoy it!

Lance stared suspiciously at Pidge as they manned the drink counter. Pidge was the Barista and also helped Hunk repair things around the shop. They had taken some vintage drink machines that Allura had inherited and made them work better than many of the newer machines on the market. Besides that, no one made a better latte than Pidge. They looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Like everyone in the cafe, they wore the butler-esque uniform and it fit their small frame like a glove. Despite being his age, Pidge looked like they were still in their teens, petite and thin.

"Ah, sorry, just...has anyone ever told you that you looked kinda..." He didn't know how to phrase it. There was something oddly familiar about them, and something they seemed to keep hidden from the others. They never let anyone see the inside of their locker, occasionally he'd catch them messing with something under the counter, and they even kept their cellphone's lock screen a secret.

Woody, a tabby-colored munchkin cat, hopped up onto one of the bar seats and mewled for Pidge's attention. The bell on the green collar around her neck jingled as she moved. She had a toy stuffed into her mouth which she clawed at with her stubby paws. Pidge smiled and turned to focus on the cat which allowed Lance enough time to slip by them into the kitchen.

Inside, Hunk worked on a cake which he decorated with the image of a sleeping cat's face. It looked like Simba, the extremely fat and burly persian that tended to spend most of his time snoozing on the cat tree just outside of the kitchen door. Simba was Hunk's absolute favorite cat as they shared the same chill personality. He looked up at Lance, a bit confused. 

"Aren't you supposed to be waiting tables with Keith and Shiro?" he asked as he finished decorating the cake.

"It's dead right now. Besides, I have far more important things to discuss. You know Pidge, right?"

Hunk raised an eyebrow. "Yes? I mean, we work together?"

"Like, have you ever noticed how cute they are?" Hunk stared at him. "Not like that! I mean! They look kinda girly, right? Not that it's a bad thing, I mean, Keith is one of the girliest looking guys I know and everyone adores him. Ass. But I mean like, they're really pretty! And they have those huge eyes!"

Hunk nodded slowly. "And your point is...?"

"I dunno. Just...I feel like there's something about them. Something I know from somewhere. They don't talk about themselves a lot and I want to figure them out."

"Well," said Hunk, "I admit, they can be charming. But I think you might like them because they-" He was cut off by the ding of a bell. A new set of orders was sent to him by Keith.

"Lance," he said, "WHat are you doing? We just had a bunch of customers come in. Hurry up."

"Oh don't act all high and mighty with me, mister! I bet I could be a better, more attentive waiter to more tables than you could ever be!" Keith glared slightly at the challenge.

"Then come prove it, loudmouth." 

Lance snarled and stormed out of the kitchen. He nearly collided into Mamoru, the huge black and white Norwegian Forest Cat that everyone called "Mini-Shiro". It, like him, was missing a limb, though in Mamoru's case, it was his back right leg. The burly, muscular cat had lost it after a car accident. Shiro had nursed the small lion of a cat back to health and was rewarded with a loyal, adoring friend. Mamoru seemed to be the top cat in the cafe at any given time. He was calm, collected, and patient with anyone who tried to hold him. His purr was like a motor that constantly ran. 

Lance apologized to the large cat who didn't seem all that put out by the near-accident. Instead he simply trotted over to where Woody and Azul were playing and began to groom the small munchkin cat. She protested but settled in without much more complaint. Lance smiled and returned to work in a slightly better mood, even if he was still competing with Keith. It was hard not to feel good when the cats were so darn cute.

As he, Keith, and Shiro worked, he glanced at Pidge again. As he and Keith waited and bussed tables, Lance decided to chance it and ask his rival for intel about their mysterious barista. "Hey! Pssst. Hey, Keith." Keith shot him a withering look, to no avail. Keith sighed slightly.

"What?" Keith prepared himself for the inevitable idiocy. 

"Look, cool it, it's not about you and me. It's about Pidge." Instantly, Keith's expression changed. He had a look of confusion, concern and almost protectiveness on his face.

"What about Pidge?" Lance wasn't sure what to make of this reaction, so he continued as normal.

"Have you noticed that they're kind of cute? And do we know all that much about them? I mean, I know they're smart. And pretty. Did I mention smart? But I feel like there's more to them than that. I can't quite figure it out though."

Keith stared at him blankly. "Well, there is the fact that they-"

"Guys, we have more customers. Chat later." Shiro hurried by, a heavy tray full of food in his hands, and both young men snapped to attention.

"Sir, yes, sir!" they said in unison as they hurried back to their tasks. Pidge looked over, confused but calculating. 

* * *

Some time later, they approached Shiro as the two began to close up for the night. "Hey, Shiro. You and Pidge are close, right?" Shiro froze a little bit, then looked at him. There was a wariness to his gaze.

"Yes..." he said finally. "You could say that."

"Well, I was wondering. What could you tell me about them? Nothing super personal I guess but...Since I met them, something about them interests me. I can't figure out what it is."

Shiro folded his arms and he looked at Lance with a serious gaze. "I know them through their father and brother. Their father was my commanding officer in the Air Force and their brother and I were close friends. Their family is very important to them and they were considered a bit of a prodigy in their youth. Right now, they're saving up for new electronics. I think they just work here to get out of the house."

Lance nodded. "They're nice too, when they're not being snarky." Lance glanced over at a nearby cat tree where Woody was curled up with Rose, a grumpy calico that seemed to hate every human she met save for Keith and sometimes Shiro. The cat glared at him from her perch, then curled up more with the other cat. He sighed. "Still, I don't know what it is. I always liked pretty people but Pidge is..."

"Right behind you." He turned to see Pidge in a light sundress with a bolero-style jacket over it. They frowned at him and folded their arms. "Is this it? Biologically I'm a girl. My name is Katie. Maybe that's what it is. Hunk said you tend to flirt with every girl you see so..." Pidge huffed and looked away. Shiro seemed to have vanished. 

"Ah! Pidge! No! I mean, you don't seem to care about gender stuff. No, it's not that it's..." then he realized. "Your voice!" He pointed at them.

"My voice?"

"I remember now! You were the mysterious and cute kid that won every single pokemon tournament in the city back when I was a kid!" He grinned as Pidge paled.

"N-no, I never-"

"Yes you did! I remember thinking you were so pretty and so cool and you beat both of my older siblings and they spent a year building their decks. It was awesome! I kept meaning to talk to you but I could never find you afterward. Man, I was so bummed..." 

Pidge blushed slightly, then sighed. "Fine. Yeah, that was me. Just...don't tell the others, okay?" They tugged on their short hair. "It's not exactly what I was expecting to be remembered for."

Lance grinned and wrapped an arm around their slim shoulders. "Don't worry, my cute little Pidgey-"

"-Don't call me that."

"Your secret is safe with me."


	3. In which Shiro gets buried in cats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon on tumblr asked for " a Shiro drabble where he sits down for his break and all the cats swarm him so he cant get up?" and so I'm gonna do that thing! Still open for more prompts and requests so send me lots!

At 3 pm each day he was working, Shiro went on break. Well, to be accurate, he was pushed to take his break by every other employee, especially Pidge and Keith. The two would pull him away from his table, send him over to the break room (also known as the "nap room" as it was where the cats went to hide when they didn't want to deal with customers or strangers), and Pidge would take his tables for him. He would chuckle, half-heartedly protest, then eventually give in and go. He collected his lunch from Hunk (who somehow always knew just what he was craving that day), grabbed a coffee, a copy of the day's paper or a science magazine or something of that nature, then sat down to relax. Sometimes one of the cats would join him. More often than not, that cat was Mamoru.

The large feline hopped onto a chair next to the couch where he sat, then calmly strode over to curl up on his lap. Shiro winced slightly at the weight on his legs from the cat's paws, though it became much easier to bear when the cat laid down. He gave Mamoru a gentle pet as he devoured his sandwich. While he couldn't feel anything with his mechanical appendage, he had to admire how well-made it was. Pidge and Hunk had worked for days to create something that resembled and worked like his real hand and even found a way for him to control it with electric impulses from his mind. Sure, it took more focus to use but it was better than the claw that the army had fitted him with before he was discharged.

He shuddered as he remembered his time in captivity, though a light nip to his real hand brought him back to focus. Mamoru stared up at him, the cat's mouth around the index finger of his real hand. Once his mind cleared, the cat let go. He smiled and scratched behind Mamoru's ears. "Thanks, buddy." As he finished his food, he noticed a few other cats had joined him. Woody and Rose stared at him from the table while Azul and Simba rubbed against his legs. At first he was confused, but then he remembered. Salmon. He had been craving salmon that day.

Before he could blink, Azul had joined Mamoru on his lap while Rose wound herself around his shoulders. As he moved to pull Rose off, Simba jumped and landed on his prosthetic. It was trapped under the huge cat's weight. Shiro let out a slight sigh. "Okay, guys. Come on. My break's over. Time to get off."

It was no good. Soon, other cats began to join them. Bramblepelt, Avery, Nagisa, Near, Alphonse, Mirabelle, Wray...it seemed like near every cat in the store had come to pile on top of him. He groaned and leaned back, stuck in their fluffy clutches. He considered yelling for help but soon, drowsiness overtook him. When had he gotten a good night's sleep? Not in some time, definitely. The others wouldn't miss him if he let his eyes rest for a bit. Besides that, the cats were so warm...

* * *

Some time later, Pidge had enough free time to go and look for him. The majority of the cats had left but the first five remained in their original positions on top of Shiro. They smiled to themselves and pulled out their phone to take a picture. "The others are gonna be so jealous..." they mumbled as they saved the picture to their favorites. 

Shiro, oblivious, slept on, content.


	4. In Which Keith Shows His Protective Streak (Though Pidge is No Damsel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reader, ag3ntc0cac0la, requested "one of the customers was being really rude to Pidge and Keith (and maybe Shiro) just comes out of nowhere in super protective mode." And so enjoy a nice Keith/Pidge drabble!

"I said I wanted an Americano, you stupid girl!" Keith glanced up from Rose who had curled up on his lap. The cat jumped to her feet and hissed in the direction of the drink counter where an irate older woman was yelling at Pidge. Pidge seemed to be handling it alright though anyone yelling at the petite barista made Keith's blood boil. He and Pidge didn't always see eye to eye but they got along well enough. Keith enjoyed when Pidge would ramble about their latest device or improvements to Shiro's arm to him as he cleaned up at the end of the night. In return, he started taking Pidge along to his self defense classes. They were a natural.

He grit his teeth and stood as Rose jumped off, though a look from Pidge gave him pause. Pidge shook their head slightly. Not yet, they still had this. He bristled but waited, like a dog at the end of his chain. All he needed was a sign, one look from them and he'd be at their side.

"Ma'am," Pidge said with barely masked disdain under their patient tone, "That  _is_ an Americano. Espresso and water." They gestured to the signboard above the counter where the drinks and components were listed.

The woman sneered. "Little girl, I think I know what an Americano is. But I wanted it with cream and sugar! And in the other, Sumatran roast! Not this Peruvian swill!" Pidge stared at her and took a long breath.

"Alright, Ma'am. You did not ask for any of those things. And I am not a mind reader." Their eye twitched slightly. They were so, so tempted to let Keith off the leash. He was not a particularly burly or tough-looking young man but there was something intimidating about the intensity in his eyes. He was fiercely protective of everyone in the cafe, even Lance despite their "rivalry". Pidge admired him for his dedication to the little family he'd found amongst the other employees. Not to mention he adored Shiro just as much, if not more than they did.

"Don't sass me, you idiot! Haven't you heard the customer is always right? I demand to speak to the manager! And I'm friends with the owner so prepare to lose your precious job, you little beast!" The older woman huffed and pulled out her phone. PIdge rolled their eyes. If this woman was friends with Allura, they would eat their apron. They glanced at Keith, then smirked. 

_"Go Loose, Keith_." They mouthed. Keith almost grinned, a fire in his eyes. He stalked over, his fists clenched. 

"Is there an issue?" HIs sharp navy eyes focused on the woman. She was knocked speechless at the fire in his glare. 

"O-oh! Yes! This stupid child messed up my drink. I demand compensation! This has ruined my morning!"

"Well, ma'am, I'm going to suggest next time you be clearer about what you want. And we do not tolerate disrespect to our fellow employees here. I suggest you get out and find a different coffee shop." He drew himself as tall as he could get. "Understand?"

Pidge grinned and the woman let out an offended gasp. "Why I never!"

"Yes you have. Just now." His eyes narrowed. "Leave." His voice was a growl. It sent shivers down Pidge's spine. They smirked openly at the woman. Woody jumped onto the counter and sat down next to their hand. They hissed at the woman as well. Rose, in a rare moment of patience for someone other than Keith or Shiro, wound around their ankles in a silent show of support.

"N-Not until I speak to a manager..." Croaked the woman, her hands going white. She gripped her purse straps like her life depended on it. Keith sighed, then looked back at Pidge.

"Well, you heard her. Go get Shiro."

"No need." Shiro emerged from the back. His eyes were steely and his arms were folded. There was a look of disdain, disappointment, and barely contained fury in his eyes, though he kept his face otherwise blank. His prosthetic fingers twitched slightly. "I heard everything and I agree with Keith. I think you need to go." He moved to stand on Pidge's other side. They smiled smugly from between the two angry men.

"B-But..." The woman backed up slightly and deflated further. Keith and Shiro both intensified their glares.

"Out." They said in unison. Keith's tone was harsh and ferocious. Shiro's was cold and clinical. Pidge flashed the woman a cheeky wave. She huffed and turned on her heel before she scurried out the door.

Once they were sure she was gone, both turned to Pidge, concerned. "You okay?" asked Keith as he stepped closer. There was still some anger in him but Pidge was his main concern.

"You did well. You kept your calm and didn't back down. But yes, are you alright? Do you need to take a break?" Pidge shook their head and smiled at the two, a bit more softly.

"No, no, I'm good, guys. Really. Thank you." They smiled up at Shiro and gave his arm a slight pat. "You get back to your break. I got this."

He stared down at them, then glanced at Keith. Keith inclined his head slightly at the unspoken command to stay near Pidge for a bit, just in case. He had planned to do so regardless. Shiro gave Pidge's shoulder a light squeeze with his natural hand before he returned to the back. Keith leaned against the counter, his elbows on the bar. Pidge smirked and gave his ponytail a light tug.

"You can go too. I'm alright." He looked at them with a nearly blank expression, though Pidge had learned him well enough to know he was pouting. "Really, I'm fine."

"Nah." He said as he looked toward the door once more. "We're slow and Lance could use the extra tips. Besides..." He looked at them from the corner of his eye. He felt a tiny bit of color fill his cheeks. "Being around you helps." There was something about being near Pidge that filled him with peace. They were safe. In more ways than once.

Pidge blinked and blushed a little. They sighed and leaned forward so their head pressed into his back, the countertop between them still. "Being around you helps too." Keith being so near helped them be brave. Not that they got scared easily, but knowing Keith was always ready to back them up made them happy.

The two remained like that for some time until more customers came in. As Pidge reluctantly pulled away, Keith spoke up one more time.

"Later tonight...let's go train at my gym. And we can pick up takeout after. My treat." Pidge grinned and nodded.

"I'd love to."


	5. In Which Lance Has No Game (But Allura Plays Along Anyway)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ag3ntc0cac0la also requested fic of Lance trying to flirt with Allura using cheesy and really bad pickup lines. And I love that thing so let's do it! As always, requests and prompts are still open. If you have NSFW prompts, I will also be starting a story just for those, so send them in or to my tumblr!

"Did it hurt?" Lance sidled up to Allura as she played with one of four tiny kittens that had been left on her doorstep. She looked up at him, confused.

"Did what hurt?" She frowned at the grin on his face. One of the kittens climbed onto her shoulder and buried itself in her long white hair. She gave it a light scratch.

"When you fell out of heaven, Angel." Lance pointed both hands in finger guns at her and flashed a pearly white smile. Allura blinked at him, uncomprehending. His smile wavered, then dropped. "No? Nothing? Okay, how about this one. Is your daddy a thief?"

Allura jerked back from him, offended. "My father was an honorable, kind, generous, respectable man! He was no thief! Where did you hear such an awful thing?!" Lance paled and waved his hands.

"No no! It's a line! See, it ends with 'Because he must have stolen the stars from the skies and put them in your eyes'. It's just a thing! No one actually thinks your dad was a thief!" He felt himself start to sweat. This was going so, so wrong. "Uh...uh..." He stalled to try and think of a new line to use. 

Allura gave him a suspicious look but calmed down. She used her long, elegant fingers to tease another of the kittens. They all squeaked and chirped, not having mastered meowing. Lance thought they sounded more like mice than kittens.

"Oh! How about this one! Hey, baby, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd want I to be next to U." He winked and hoped this would at least win him a smile, but to no avail. Allura forced back a grin and hid her mouth behind her hand. She adopted a thinking pose.

"Rearrange the alphabet? But the English language is complicated enough, don't you think?" Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she looked at him, though she tried to hide it. Lance sighed and his head fell slightly.

"I...yeah. Um." There had to be another line. Another winning trick he could use to get her to grin or laugh or...something! "Uh...Aha! Hey, darling, are your parents aliens? Because you are out of this world!"

This one was so cheesy, Allura had to fight back a snort. A tiny smile escaped and Lance knew he had her. He grinned wide and leaned in a bit more. 

"Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!" Allura let out a loud laugh and her shoulders began to shake. Lance wanted to do a victory dance but he kept on. "Hey, are your legs tired?"

She snorted a little bit and shook her head. "N-no, why?"

"Because you've been running through my mind all day. Are you feeling sleepy?" His face hurt from smiling so wide. Allura was cracking up. Sure, he wasn't particularly suave but seeing her smile filled his heart with joy.

"N-no!" She grinned at him as she waited for the rest of it.

"Really?" Asked Lance as he faked being incredulous about her answer. She laughed again. "Because you've been in my dreams every night!"

Allura laughed so hard that her stomach began to ache. She wrapped her arms around her middle, and tears streamed down her face. "N-no more! I can't take it!" She giggled and clutched her middle. When had the last time she'd laughed so much been? Surely not since her father had been alive. Her father.

She sobered slightly as she remembered. It was one year ago to the day that'd he'd passed. She looked at the floor. She had been alone with the cats, missing him and hurting and had spent all morning in a haze. She looked at Lance who gave her a hopeful, if nervous smile.

"I hope you didn't mind. You looked really down and the others told me about your dad and...I'm really sorry, Allura. Really."

She smiled and hugged him slightly. He stiffened in her grasp but hugged back. A few kittens mewled in complaint. "Thank you, Lance. I needed that, actually. He wouldn't want me to lose myself to sadness. I still miss him badly but...I think he'd want me to remember the good times and the laughter too."

Lance smiled and rubbed her back. He still had a huge crush on her and while he wanted to make an actual pass at her, he knew better. He could wait until she was in a better frame of mind. And even if she turned him down, he still wanted to be there for her, to be her friend. 

As long as he could make her smile, he was happy.


	6. In which Hunk hecks up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! My friend Seer requested Hunk/Pidge interactions. "Hunk makes Pidge a treat but Allura sees it and decides to add it to the menu". Hope ya'll enjoy! Trigger warning for mentions of animal violence and animal death near the end. Nothing too descriptive but if that bothers you, you might want to skip this one.

Hunk peered out of the counter at Pidge who listlessly wiped down the drink counter for the nth time that morning. Pidge had been out for a few days due to an incident that the others had only heard sparse details about. Allura didn't want to divulge anything but that was normal for her. She let them tell their own stories if, when, and how they wanted. Hunk frowned deeper as they hiccuped softly to themselves. He slipped back into the kitchen.

Well, if there was one thing he knew they loved, it was peanut butter. They also loved his cupcakes. He grinned to himself and got to work as he prepared batter and a cupcake sheet. After he poured the batter into the cupcake tray, he slipped it into the oven, then got to work on the icing. Outside, he heard the others approach Pidge, one by one. Shiro, Hunk guessed, would ask if they wanted to talk. No matter the answer, he'd stand with them for a while. His hand around their shoulders. Mamoru would rub against their legs and purr. 

Next would be Lance. He'd try to lighten things up with some jokes. Pidge would smile but not open up. Not yet. They tended to keep their issues to themselves. It made the others worry but they didn't push. Not yet. Instead, Pidge would tease Lance who would act offended and hurt. They'd be sarcastic and snippy with one another until some customers would come by. Keith, like Shiro, would stay near them for a while. They'd lean into his shoulder and mull over how to tell the story. They wouldn't tell it just yet, though. 

Hunk's stomach twisted slightly. All of them had come to love Pidge in their own way. They adored their little genius. But while the others had charm or humor, he had cupcakes and patience. He didn't think of it like a competition, but he couldn't help but compare himself to the others. Strapping, handsome young men. And there was him. Big and clumsy and a bit of a coward.

Still, today wasn't about him. It was about Pidge. He pulled the cupcakes out of the oven so they could cool. He carefully chopped up miniature peanut butter candies to top the cupcake with and transferred his frosting into an icing bag. Once the cupcakes were cool, he swirled some frosting over them and topped it with the candies. "There! Hunk's Peanut Butter cookie cupcakes are done!" 

Just as he turned to bring them in to give to Pidge, he nearly ran smack into Allura. She blinked at the plate of cupcakes. "Ooh, are those the new item you said you'd been working on?" He paled. Right, he had planned to figure out how to make a hibiscus tea cupcake before Pidge had been gone for days.

"Uh..." His brain shorted out. He wanted to say that they were a treat for Pidge but he also didn't want to admit wasting cafe ingredients. Not that Allura would be all that upset. She adored Pidge too. 

"Perfect!" She took one off the plate. "We'll have the others try these and see what they think. It seems like there's enough for everyone to try one and have some left over!"

She bit into the cupcake and hummed with delight. "Mmm. Is this peanut butter? Pidge loves that! Give any extra cupcakes to them, will you? I am sure they'd appreciate it." Hunk nodded blankly. He was glad he'd made so many extra.

Allura wandered off to talk to Shiro about something and he stumbled his way into the main room. He set down the plate of cupcakes next to Pidge. They had their head buried in their arms as they leaned onto the counter. Keith, next to them, gave him a nod and a smile. He snagged a cupcake for himself and one for Lance before he left them alone. Pidge looked up at Hunk. They seemed a bit better, though there was still sadness in their eyes.

"Hey, Hunk." They said, their voice ragged from crying and exhaustion. Hunk smiled at them.

"Hey, Pidge. Cupcake? They're peanut butter cookie flavor." Pidge blinked, grinned wide, and took one off the plate. They wolfed it down, then reached for another. They probably hadn't eaten well due to stress. Hunk gave their back a light pat. "Easy now, save some for Shiro and Coran."

Pidge swallowed their bite. "Sorry," they said with a cough, "I was just so hungry. Thank you, Hunk." They hugged him tight. Hunk was kind of their favorite at the moment. There was something so comforting about being near him. They felt so warm and safe when they were close to him. "I...We had to put Rover down."

Hunk's eyes widened. Rover, Pidge's dog, was a sweet little thing. A mutt they had rescued out of an alley. It was still a pup and had seemed healthy the last time he'd stopped by their house. He frowned down at them. "Was he sick? Or...?"

"He got hurt bad. A guy broke into our house with a gun and Rover attacked him but he got tossed into a wall. He...was hurt and there was nothing the vet could do...but thanks to him, my dad was able to stop the guy...and..." Pidge burst into tears. They gripped Hunk's shirt like a lifeline. Hunk pulled them closer. He stroked their short, soft hair.

"I'm so sorry, Pidge. I can't believe...I'm so, so sorry." He glared at the ground. How could anyone be so cruel, so awful?

Pidge sniffed again and pulled away. They wiped their eyes but smiled up at him weakly. "I know it'll be okay....he's not hurting anymore. Still..I miss him so much."

Hunk sighed a little. "No kidding. It's fine to be sad, Pidge. We're all here for you." Pidge smiled a bit wider and leaned back into Hunk's embrace. "Want me to tell the others for you?"

Pidge nodded wordlessly. Still, for a bit longer, they remained where they were. Hunk might not have had Shiro's wisdom, Lance's wit, or Keith's cool charm, but he had this. And maybe this was enough.


	7. In which Hunk and Keith are (not so) secretly besties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BlackKatJinx requested Hunk and Keith interactions and we need more of those so here this is! 8D I hope you like it! And one more time, I am open to all requests, both SFW and NSFW!

Hunk was chopping lettuce for sandwiches when Shiro nearly tossed Keith into the kitchen. "Hunk, find something for Keith to do until he cools down? I don't want him to serve customers when he's in this kind of mood." Hunk flashed Shiro a lazy salute. Keith growled but walked over to where all the cooking aprons were hanging. He pulled one down and tied it on. Hunk waited until he seemed less furious to ask.

"Galra Inc?" Keith's eyes narrowed slightly and Hunk swore he saw Keith's ponytail bristle like a cat.

"Galra Inc." He spit as he started chopping tomato. Hunk nodded in understanding.

"Let me guess, they called the place a dump, right? An eyesore?" Another growl. Hunk sighed. "You can't let them get to you, man. They're just a bunch of bullies. If not for the money that Shay's candy shop raised, they would have been bought out too." 

Keith calmed slightly at that. He remembered how hard everyone had worked to raise money for the Balmera Family Old Fashioned Candy Shoppe. Hunk's friend Shay and her family had owned it for ages, though her older brother Rax had encouraged them to sell out. Still, there was almost something magical about the rock candy they specialized in. Keith smiled. He still had a bag of their infamous fireballs in his jacket pocket. 

"Our business is strong and we're doing fine. I mean, we were able to budget enough to hire Lance, right? Our business has gotta be booming." Keith scoffed slightly at the mention of Lance, though he did smile a bit wider. Despite their "rivalry", Keith found Lance's company exciting. He was never bored when Lance was around, that was for sure.

"I guess." He said finally. He glanced at Hunk to see him grinning. It was hard not to smile when Hunk's good cheer was so infectious. It was almost as soothing as being near Pidge. However today, their barista was so busy, Keith would have just been in the way. Besides, Keith didn't mind helping in the kitchens. It was like stepping into another, more peaceful world. "Thanks, Hunk."

"Anytime. So did you hear? Apparently Coran interrupted Shiro asking Pidge out." Keith scoffed and smirked to himself.

"Really? Again? Man, Shiro can never catch a break." Though Keith also liked Pidge, quite a lot, he had no issue sharing them with anyone else amongst the staff. Besides, as much as he appreciated Pidge's calming presence, Shiro depended on it far more than he ever did. Hunk laughed.

"Yeah. It was great. Sometimes I wonder how Pidge is so oblivious for someone so smart."

Keith chuckled and nodded. He had a feeling Pidge knew full well but they enjoyed seeing the normally-composed Shiro become so flustered and upset. He finished chopping the tomatoes and placed them aside in a small container. "I think I'm ready to head back out there. Thanks, Hunk."

"Anytime, man." They bumped fists and parted ways, both in better moods than they had been before.


	8. In which Hunk is already crying (Pidge tries to help)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend Seer also requested a chapter of Pidge helping Hunk! I hope this looks alright and if I mess anything up, please let me know!

Pidge made their way into the kitchen and had to stare. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Flour dusted nearly every surface, though no surface was as heavily coated as Hunk. He furiously rolled out dough, only to dash over to the oven and switch one batch of cupcakes for another. Then it was back to the dough, then to the blender to whip together some brownie batter, then back to the dough and then filling the pastries with chocolate fudge and oh gods they were dizzy.

"Hunk!" called Pidge as they made their way over to him. "Hunk, slow down. What's the matter?" Allura had mentioned something about a famous chef coming by to test their baked goods but they had never seen Hunk in such a state. Hunk looked at them with fear in their eyes.

"She's coming." He brushed past Pidge to whip some icing together.

"Who? Who's coming?!" They grabbed Hunk's arm and tried to pull him to a stop. Keyword being tried. Hunk continued on his mad baking spree, unhindered by the extra weight.

"My grandmother!" Pidge stared at their panicking friend. Hunk slowed down just a little to catch his breath. "She's the judge for the big magazine that's gonna have a piece about us. My grandmother taught me everything I know about cooking and baking. Every time I go home to the islands to visit her, she and I bake together."

"So? Doesn't that mean we'll get a good rating?" Pidge adjusted their lucky glasses. Hunk shook his head and his shaggy black hair bounced against the bandana he wore over it.

"No, Pidge. My grandmother is the toughest judge on the mainland. She's won every baking contest she's ever entered. Nearly nothing meets her taste. She's almost impossible to please. I need to show her my best work otherwise we won't get a good review!"

"Hunk."

"Oh man, what if she shows up and hates it? What if everything actually tastes horrible and no one is nice enough to say anything? What if I mess up or trip and spill it all over her? What if we get a bad review?!"

"Hunk!"

"What if I start crying?!  **Too late I'm already crying!** "

" **Hunk!** " Pidge leaned up on their tip toes and pulled Hunk's face down close to theirs. He sniffed and stared at Pidge. While his soft brown eyes were weepy, Pidge's were fierce and determined. "Hunk, you're the best baker I know. We'll figure this out, I promise. But you need to calm down." Hunk sniffed and nodded. It was times like this that they were most thankful for Pidge.

Their cool logic was just what Hunk needed when his fears got the best of him.

"Yeah, yeah okay. Okay! Let's do it!"

"Good man. Now I have an idea. Do you have Shay's number?"

* * *

 

A few hours later, the bell over the door let out a quiet ring. Simba meowed at the newcomer and rubbed against them happily. Hunk's grandmother, a slightly heavyset older woman, peered around the main cafe floor. She had salt-and pepper grey hair, a friendly looking face, and a very youthful air. She smiled and bent over to give the large sandy brown cat an affectionate pet. "Well well. Big, loud, happy monster of a cat? You must be Hunk's favorite, I'm sure." The cat rubbed his face into her hand and purred up a storm.

Shiro approached her with a friendly smile. "Ma'am? I believe we have a table reserved for you this way." He gestured to a nearby table. Keith, Lance, and Pidge all bowed and gestured to the table.

"Welcome, ma'am!" They chorused, calm smiles on their faces. Pidge had made sure they practiced until they were in perfect sync. Lelani smiled and sat down. Simba followed and made himself comfy on the spare seat next to her. She chuckled and looked around. The rest of the cafe had been closed early in anticipation of her visit. 

Pidge stepped forward. "Allow me to make you a drink, Mrs. Kalili? Hunk mentioned you liked thai style iced tea." Lelani nodded almost regally and grinned when Pidge hurried off to prepare the drink.

"I'm guessing that was Pidge. So you must be Shiro, Keith, and Lance, yes? Hunk tells me all about you in his letters and when he visits. He's such a good boy. I taught him how to cook and bake, you know." There was honest pride in Lelani's tone which made the three young men smile.

"Yes, Ma'am," answered Shiro, "He tells us about you as well. How proud he is of your skills."

"Ma'am makes me sound so old. Call me Tutu."

Shiro smiled. "Of course, Tutu. Shall we bring out a few things for you to try?"

She hummed in thought. "Just bring me everything at once," she said as she handed the menu of sweets to Lance, "I'll try it all now. But once it's all out, send Hunk out too. I want to give my answer with him listening."

Shiro nodded. The three walked into the kitchen and started bringing out dessert after dessert. Lelani took a small sample of each as it came, though she was most impressed with the variety of cupcakes. Many were topped with beautiful candies or bits of chocolate. She carefully left her expression blank as she ate. Pidge brought the tea over, then retreated to watch from the drink counter with the rest of the employees. Allura joined them and couldn't stop wringing her hands. Coran, the ever loyal handyman, janitor, and effective second in command, also watched. He gave his (rather impressive) moustache a stroke as they waited.

Hunk emerged with the final treat. "The Balmera special candyfloss cupcake." He said as he set it down. It was a gorgeous pink and tan cupcake decorated with little rock candies in the gorgeous pink and baby blue icing. He glanced back at Shay who flashed him an encouraging thumbs-up from the kitchen. Shay was a tall and fit dark-skinned young woman with black hair in a pair of neat braids, bright brown eyes, and a pair of large hoop earrings always in her ears. He waved at her in response.

Lelani looked at the cupcake, up at Hunk, then over at Shay who let out a soft "eep!" as she ducked back into the kitchen and out of sight. She smirked up at Hunk who blushed and shrank down slightly. Over at the drink counter, a few of the other employees chuckled. Lelani accepted the cupcake and cut into it. The inside was filled with a light, sweet strawberry cream and little popping candies. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.

Hunk took off his bandana and twisted it in his hands as he waited. Lelani carefully wiped her mouth, then took a sip of tea. She looked up at Hunk. He stared down at her.

"You've improved greatly, my child." She smiled at him and there were tears in her eyes. Her voice was thick with pride. "Sweet but not overly decadent. And I can taste the love in all of these desserts. I'm guessing your friends all helped you, right?"

Hunk nodded. "Yes, Tutu wahine. They did." He smiled at them, but especially at Pidge who had helped organize this entire display. Pidge grinned at him.

"You are very blessed to have them. It is clear they care for you a lot." She took his hand in hers. "I am very, very proud of you. Keep up the good work."

He sniffed sightly, his face wet with joy and pride. "I am. Thank you." He grinned and pulled her into a hug which she returned. The others let out sighs of relief, all touched by the display.

"Good work, Pidge." Whispered Shiro as he leaned in closer. They smiled at him.

"Well of course. Anything to help Hunk." They focused back on Hunk and his grandmother and felt their heart speed up. He looked so happy. ' _He should be smiling like that all the time._ ' they thought to themselves.

 


	9. In which Shiro tries (and fails) to ask Pidge out five separate times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a request from two people. A follower on tumblr, Bai-chan & a reader, ag3ntc0cac0la, both requested Shiro/Pidge with "Shiro repeatedly trying to ask Pidge out". So enjoy this 5+1 fic~! 8D

**The First Time:**

Pidge had been hired recently. Their older brother Matt was one of Shiro's oldest long-distance friends. They'd watched Pidge, though they knew them as Katie, grow through pictures and videos and stories from Matt. Though Katie was only a couple years younger than Matt, they were a prodigy. Brilliant, charming, and still so cute and dainty even well past puberty. Matt had encouraged the two of them to meet but due to his deployment, it never happened. Then he was taken prisoner.

When he came home, he was a wreck. His arm was gone, he had nightmares, and it was near impossible to readjust to civilian life. That was when his therapist suggested animal therapy. He went to the cat cafe to pick up a cat for adoption but he fell in love with the place. Pidge, still a new employee themselves, perked when they saw him. He didn't recognize them at first as their hair had been cut so short. They rushed over to greet him, a giant smile on their face. 

They chatted for a long time but he noticed that their glance kept drifting toward his arm. At first he worried if it bothered them, and it did, but not the way he suspected. They offered to make him a better arm. He tried to brush them off but they insisted. So every day for a month, he came back in to chat with Pidge, to play with the cats (a large, fluffy thing with a missing limb tended to take up most of his time), and to get to know the customers. He was a hit amongst young and old. In seemingly no time at all, Pidge and Hunk, the chef and an engineering whiz, had made him a near-perfect replica of his original hand. He didn't know how to repay Pidge for all their hard work.

"I really liked spending time with you." He said as he used his new arm to take their hand. He couldn't feel it but he saw how their face flushed. It made him smile. "And if you'd like, I think we should spend more time together."

Pidge stared at them, smiled, and nodded. "That's a great idea! I know Allura wanted to ask if you'd like a job here but having you here more often would be so much fun!"

"So I was thinking di-wait, what?" He stared at them. He'd meant to ask them out to dinner and a movie, not accept a job offer he wasn't aware even existed. Still, they seemed so happy, he couldn't bring himself to turn them down. On top of that, he did love this place. He gave his therapist a call later that night to tell them the news. They were elated and, frankly, so was he. Come to think of it, hadn't their neighbor's kid Keith wanted a job?

**The Second TIme:**

Shiro had been working there for half a year when he worked up the nerve to ask Pidge out again. They had grown closer, become better friends, and he got the feeling they were starting to see him in the same way he saw them. The only issue was that it seemed like Keith also had his eye on the barista. Whenever Pidge changed out of their uniform to get ready to go, Keith was there before he could get to them. The two had started attending martial arts classes together. He was happy for them, of course, but he wasn't about to give up so easily.

One day, before their shift ended, he cornered Pidge in the hall. "So, Pidge, you have any plans after work?"

"Oh, well not really. Why?"

He cleared his throat. "Well, I noticed you and Keith going out a lot. And I was wondering-"

"-If you could come with, right? I know, you must be feeling really left out." Shiro paled slightly.

"No, that's not..." Pidge looked up at him with such a guilty expression that he lost his confidence. "Yeah, you got me. Would you mind?"

"Not at all! I'll let Keith know and we can all walk together. I'm really sorry, Shiro." They gave him a hug and pulled him close. He sighed and ran a hand through their hair. At least he'd get time with them.

**The Third Time:**

It was their birthday. Hunk had offered to bake a cake for them and Shiro insisted he help. They had planned this surprise party with an intense amount of care and secrecy. Matt was even flying in from the research facility where he had spent the last few months. Said brother leaned in the hall, a smirk on his features. "So, Shiro, seems you and Pidge are pretty close, huh?"

Shiro paled as he pulled the cake from the oven. "I guess. They're nice. And being around them is relaxing." Matt's grin widened. "Don't make this weird, man."

Hunk scoffed to himself as he decorated some peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips. "Little late for that..." he muttered, though there was a sort of fond exasperation in his tone. Matt simply shrugged and returned to petting Mamoru. 

An hour earlier than Pidge was expected to come in, they burst into the room, a lump of dirt and fur in their arms. The majority of the cats hissed and went into hiding. Pidge panted and rushed towards the bathing room. Shiro and Hunk poked their heads out of the kitchen to see what the fuss was. It seemed like Pidge had completely ignored all of the birthday decorations and the early guests to get whatever they were holding clean. Shiro entered the large, tiled room where the cats were groomed and washed. They had turned the water on full blast as they cleaned and rinsed the furry lump.

Hidden under all the dirt and matted fur was a small, grey dog. It whined and leaned into Pidge's hands as they scrubbed it and snipped off patches of fur. 

"Pidge...? Where did you...?"

"His name is Rover and I found him in an alley. I didn't know where else to take him." They looked up at him, desperate and pleading. All thoughts of asking them out fled his mind. "Please, I need your help. My parents already have a dog and I don't think they'd take in another. But I couldn't just leave him!"

Shiro sighed. Matt, Hunk, and Keith also peeked in, followed shortly by Coran and Allura.

"Alright. Let me make a call." He smiled and his heart raced as they beamed at him.

"Thanks, Shiro. You're the best, you know that?"

"No, you are. But thank you." The rest of them all groaned to themselves.

**The Fourth Time**

"So, Pidge," began Shiro, a determined expression on his face. "I want to go out with you. Dinner, a movie, maybe even dancing if you're interested? What do you say?"

His reflection stared back at him.

He cursed softly and turned on the sink. He splashed some water in his face, then left the bathroom. Allura stood outside and smirked at him. He stared at her, confused, then horrified. "You didn't...hear that, did you?"

She nodded, slowly. "You know, Shiro-"

"-Gods strike me down where I stand." he muttered in Japanese as Allura continued, unhindered by his muttering.

"I am quite the expert on love and relationships. If you want help 'going steady' with Pidge, you should ask properly! With flowers! And romantic atmosphere!" She grinned at him. "And I am just the person to help."

"No offense but you've been single since I've known you. How, exactly do you qualify as an 'expert'?" He blinked at her, not fully trusting her judgement. SHe pouted at him fiercely until he gave in. "RIght. Okay. How do we do this?"

Allura gave a victorious grin and he felt the sense of imminent doom fall over him.

A few hours later, he was dressed up in a fancier version of his butler outfit, a bouquet of flowers in his hands and his hair tied back out of his face. Allura said he looked charming, but he had his doubts.

The door to the upstairs office opened and he turned, a fire in his eyes. "Pidge, I have something to ask-" a bewildered Coran stared back at him. "Oh. Coran. What, ah..."

"Oh! Well, I remembered we needed to bring some paperwork down to our accountant. Mind helping me get it down the stairs?" Coran strode past him, calm as ever.

"Actually I kind of...see, I was going to...I'm sort of in the middle of..." he wordlessly gestured to his outfit and the flowers. Coran looked him up and down and then grinned. 

"Aaaah. Finally taking Pidge out for a date, hmm? About time. You know, the others started making bets about the two of you! Hoohoo!" Shiro's eye twitched. They what. "Still, you're busy, I get it. Carry on."

"You sure? That box looks heavy." Shiro stared in concen at the large box, full to bursting of files and documents. Coran waved him off.

"Don't you fret. Old Coran is stronger than he looks!"

The door opened again and Shiro nodded. He hurried grab the flowers and turn to Pidge. Pidge saw him, saw the flowers, and color bloomed across their cheeks. 

"Shiro?"

But before Shiro could get out a single word, Coran let loose a horrible scream of pain. The box of documents hit the floor in a thump.

Both Pidge and Shiro looked at each other before they hurried to check on him. Coran looked at them slowly. 

"I think," he rasped, "I'm broken..."

Shiro sighed and shook his head.

**The Fifth Time:**

"Pidge!" called Shiro as he went to break. "Join me for lunch? It's slow today." He hid the tickets to the engineering convention behind his back. This would be perfect. They'd eat lunch together, he'd give them the tickets, and it'd be the perfect date. He;d even made sure no one else had bought them any tickets to it. As he waited, he tried to mentally rehearse what to say. Pidge entered but before they could get a word out, Coran burst in. 

"Pidge! The drink machines are going haywire! Hurry!" Pidge flashed Shiro an apologetic look, then rushed off. Shiro wanted to scream. No matter what he tried, things never quite seemed to work out in his favor. This was the third time that WEEK that they hadn't had any alone time with Pidge due to something having gone wrong. 

Maybe, he mused, it wasn't meant to be?

**Pidge's First Time:**

Later that afternoon, Shiro and Pidge were on closing duty. They noticed how down Shiro seemed. They grinned and nudged him with their elbow. "Hey, Shiro?"

"Yeah?" He looked down at them, curious.

"I see the Engineering expo tickets sticking out of your pocket. Are one of those for me?"

Shiro stared at them in silence. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Awesome. I'd love to go with you. Let's call it a date." THey grinned. They knew. Every single time. They had known, hadn't they?

He sighed, smiled, and flicked a few foamy suds onto their nose. They gasped in mock outrage. "Sounds like a perfect date, PIdge."


	10. In which the five main employees clean up (before making a bigger mess)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleepypyromancer on tumblr asked for "Poly team cleaning up after hours?" and I am here to deliver! 8D Also, in celebration of 10 chapters, I will take Klance ideas into consideration. I would still prefer less common pairings but I don't dislike Klance either. Enjoy the fic!

"Are you sure you all can handle closing up?" Allura glanced around at the confetti that coated nearly every surface. Half finished drinks sat on tables and several cats, including Rose and Woody, had managed to get tangled in streamers. Shiro let out a slight chuckle. 

"Yes, Miss Allura. We have this handled. You'll come back to a spotless cafe tomorrow morning but today, go home and rest."

The cafe had hosted a giant party for a regular's birthday and things had gone a little nuts. Pidge wiped down the drink machines while Keith and Lance collected dishes. Hunk was washing up a storm in the kitchen. Bubbles floated from the open window to the main floor of the cafe, a clear sign of an overabundance of suds. Allura looked at him suspiciously  but nodded. 

"Alright. See that it is clean. Goodnight, Shiro. Goodnight, everyone!" The rest of the employees also echoed her goodnight, though Lance seemed put out.

"Aw man. I wanted to see if she'd play suck and blow with some of this confetti." He slumped as he dropped off his final tray of mugs. Keith stood next to him and tugged his dark hair out of its normal ponytail to retie it. Lance stared at him for a moment before he looked away.

"Suck and Blow?" asked Keith, an eyebrow raised. Lance nodded.

"You know. You keep a piece of paper something pressed to your lips and you kiss a person with it between you so you can pass it person to person. The goal is to get it to every person in the room without dropping it." He grabbed a nearby piece of thick foil confetti about half the size of a notecard and pressed it to his lips. "Like this!" he mumbled.

Keith blinked. "Can we play?" Lance blushed deeply. "I mean, I'd like to try."

Pidge trotted over. "You can just suck it to your lips? And I'm sure there's a fascinating technique in trading it. I wish to attempt this game as well." Lance blushed further. What.

"Hey, Shiro." Keith waved Shiro over. "Have you ever heard of this...Suck and Blow game?"

Shiro hummed in thought. "Yeah. We would play it in the barracks of the ROTC back when I was younger. I didn't normally play. Still, we should really be cleaning."

"Oh come on. There are only five of us. It shouldn't take that long. Hunk!" Pidge grinned and called for their final coworker. Hunk peeked out of the kitchen.

"Uh...shouldn't we be like. Cleaning, you guys?"

"We will, we will. Come play this awesome kissing game with us!" Pidge grinned. Lance felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Or Hell. One of the two.

"Well, okay. Just once." Hunk took his place in the circle between Shiro and Lance. Pidge stood between Lance and Keith who had Shiro on his left. Shiro patted Hunk's shoulder and smiled.

They all looked to Lance and Pidge to start. Pidge leaned up a bit on their tip-toes, vicious glee in their eyes. They were enjoying his pain, the jerk. Still, he leaned in as well and carefully kissed Pidge who took the confetti with ease. Pidge then turned to Keith. Keith, ever the show-off, smirked at Lance, then wrapped both arms around Pidge to kiss them. Pidge pulled away, a bit dazed, as Keith next turned to Shiro. Shiro smiled and cupped Keith's cheek as he leaned in. They held their position for a second or two, then they pulled away. Shiro turned to Hunk. Hunk grinned and tugged Shiro down slightly into a quick kiss. Shiro pulled away with a flustered smile. Lance, grinning now, happily accepted the confetti back from Hunk, his embarrassment gone. 

Pidge rubbed their cheeks. "That was fun. Should we switch places and try again?" They were bright red and their glasses were fogged up.

Hunk seemed about to say yes, then he paled. "I left the water on and the drain is plugged." He dashed out of the room and cried out in horror at the amount of water on the floor. The others looked at each other in horror. Allura would KILL them if they didn't clean that up.

"Okay, enough games. Keith, Lance, mops. Pidge, get the shopvac. I'll help Hunk wipe down the counters. Let's move, people!" Shiro took charge once more before he went into the kitchen. "Hunk, shut the water off and stop panicking!"

The others scattered to get back to work on cleanup. Meanwhile, in a nearby cat tree, several cats were curled up in a single bed. Mamoru and Simba stretched wide on their backs while Azul, Woodie, and Rose made themselves comfortable on top of one another. All carefree and asleep while their favorite humans worked well into the night.


	11. In which Allura lets down her walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there folks! Sorry for the delay, work's been a KILLER. A few people have requested Pidge and Allura so I'll be doing that. Before we start though, I'd like to boost a skype group that I'm in called Paladins of Fantron! Just add my new pal dolefulkitten on skype and ask to join Paladins of Fantron. I'd love to chat with some of my readers and fellow Voltron fans!

Allura gathered a small bunch of papers and straightened them by gently tapping them against the table of her office. Her four new kittens, named Athos (a tiny russian blue), Porthos (a fluffy ragdoll), Aramis (a friendly tortoiseshell), and D'Artagnan (a grumpy grey scottish fold) rolled around her feet. The other employees (Mostly Lance and Hunk) called them "The Squeakers" as they squeaked more than they meowed. She giggled and reached down to scoop Athos into her lap. The tiny creature purred before it curled up on top of her legs. She stroked her gently as she continued to file her papers.

It had been a fantastic month for adoptions. Five so far and they were only three weeks in! She went to ready the next set of papers for filing but she froze at the picture stapled to the papers. Elloise, a fluffy tabby, stared up at her from the image. She had found Elloise as a little kitten. Some neighborhood brats had tried to tie fireworks to the little thing's tail. Allura had scared them off and taken the little cat in. Before her little babes that she had now, Elloise had been her favorite. She was friendly, vocal, and cuddly as all get out. She would snuggle up to Allura as she worked or curl up on her shoulders and nap. It was the cutest thing.

She had been picked out a few days earlier by one of their regulars, an introverted young woman who was attending college nearby. Elloise had started joining the girl every time she came in for coffee or Hunk's famous pumpkin spice muffins. Allura was happy for them and was only too excited to get Ellie into a permanent home. That was until she realized, Elloise was gone. Her little kitten, her friend, her confidante when she didn't want to share her fears and weaknesses with people...that precious cat that held all her secrets had moved on.

A few small droplets hit the papers. Allura's vision went blurry. She angrily wiped at her face with the back of her hand, unusually undignified for the proper young lady. She hiccuped and cursed softly in her native tongue. D'Artagnan mewled at her feet, concerned. Porthos rubbed up against her leg while Athos carefully batted her cheek with a small paw. She picked the smallest of the kittens up and hugged it close as more sobs escaped from her throat. She curled up and she cursed herself for such a stupid reaction. Elloise had a new owner who adored her. Why should she be sad?

A knock at the door made her jump. She quickly stood and strode over to the window. She didn't want to be seen like this. "Come in."

Pidge opened the door, a drink on a tray in their hand. "Allura, you have to try this! You mentioned we got a big shipment of those juniberry fruits you liked from your home country, right?" They grinned. "Because Hunk and I...." They paused. "Allura?"

Allura glanced back but knew it was a mistake. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her makeup had smudged, and her face was puffy. She wished she could cry like people in movies, where your jaw didn't ache and your heart didn't threaten to pound out of your chest. "Yes, Pidge? What is it?" Pidge placed the tray down on a nearby table. She hurriedly turned back to the window.

"You really miss Ellie, huh?" They stared at her, concerned. "She was one of your favorites, right?"

Allura paled. She hiccuped again. "I d-don't know what you mean." Her voice cracked near the end and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. Her shoulders shook. She thought she must look like a giant fool.

Pidge walked over and took her hand. "I miss her too. She was a sweetheart." They leaned into Allura and also looked out the window. THey then tugged her. "Here, come try this. It might not help but...." Allura allowed them to pull her toward the drink. She gave them a weak, grateful smile, then took a sip. Her eyes shot open at the first taste. It was a hot beverage that had a floral aroma and a wonderful, nostalgic flavor.

"Sweet Juniberries..." she whispered. She looked at Pidge in shock.

"Hunk and I have been working on syrup recipes to add to coffee and tea. I think we finally found the right balance of fruit and sweetness." They smiled at Allura hopefully. "Is it okay?"

"It's perfect," she said, "Thank you so much, Pidge." She leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Pidge's forehead. They blushed deeply. They also hatched a plan at that moment. One to cheer Allura up even more.

* * *

 

A few days later, Pidge went upstairs to knock on the door to Allura's office. "Allura? Can you come downstairs? There's something you need to see." Allura blinked and looked up from where she was brushing Porthos. Aramis squeaked happily and darted towards the door, though Pidge scooped her up with ease. "You're still a little to tiny to play with the big kitties yet, Aramis." The tortie purred and licked Pidge's hand, not put out in the least. Pidge put the kitten down as Allura stood and approached. 

Pidge led Allura downstairs where, to her shock, a party was in progress. More cats than usual darted over the furniture and familiar faces were all around. Former Nine Lives cats played with current residents. Regulars and adopters chatted happily with the staff. At one table, the regular who adopted Ellie chatted softly with Keith. From Allura's feet came a familiar meow.

She looked down and had to force back a gasp. Ellie stared up at her and purred up a storm. She bent and picked the tabby up, then buried her face in its warm fur. Ellie continued to purr and tried to rub every part of herself against Allura. Allura glanced at Pidge. She was speechless in gratitude, joy, and slight confusion.

"The others and I noticed you were feeling kind of down. So we made a few calls, talked to a few people and...well...surprise." They tried to give a showy gesture but it just came off a bit awkward. Allura smiled and pulled Pidge into a hug. 

"Thank you," She whispered, crying again, but not minding how much of a mess it made her look. "Thank you so, so much."

Pidge hugged her back. "Anything for you, Allura."

All around them, cats were reunited with fellow NIne Lives pals and their humans made new friends. The smell of sweet Juniberries was strong in the air.


	12. In Which we get Cat Origin stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter was a request from the ANon about the cats, so let's talk about the lions and the squeakers! And their relations to their favorite humans. <3

**Mamoru**

Allura had been given the injured Norwegian Forest cat by a friend who'd saved it from a hoarder's home. The poor thing had spent its entire life in a cage and one of its hind legs had become badly infected. Allura took him to the vet who helped him stabilize, though the leg had to be amputated, not that it slowed him down much. She had started calling him Tuxedo due to the little white pattern on his chest and stomach. He also had some white patches around his eyes that looked like a little mask.

He was still recovering when Shiro was hired. The two amputees took to each other instantly. Wherever Shiro went, Mamoru was there as well. Allura noticed this and silently took Mamoru off of the adoptable list. He'd found his person, after all. Shiro renamed him a few months after his first day as a waiter. As he told Pidge that day, "Mamoru means 'Protection'. And this little guy saves me every day."

His resemblance to a certain masked hero of the same name was entirely a coincidence. Really.

**Azul**

The excitable blue point Siamese was a runaway. She had slipped out of a window as a kitten to chase a bug and had lost her way. She wandered the streets for weeks and would approach anyone who came near. But it was only Allura who took the cat in and gave it a home. The small cat was an instant hit in the cafe. She was friendly, energetic, and was great with any of the younger customer who came in. 

Once Lance started working at the cafe, Azul was twice as cheerful. They would often have full conversations with her meowing at the top of her kitty lungs while Lance answered her back.

"Miaaao!"

"Really?"

"Myeeeh!"

"You don't say!"

"Mrr."

"Oh! Oh wow. Rude."

Needless to say, they were a pair, thick as thieves.

**Woody**

No one really knows were the little tabby Munchkin kitten came from. All of the cats had been fixed and no one had left her in the building. But one day she was there. She was a bit skittish at first. She only ate when the cafe was closed and only emerged to play when there were many other cats out and about. Still, one day Allura managed to snag her and take her to the vet for her shots. The cat continued to be skittish for a few weeks, though she mellowed once she seemed to realize no one was going to chase her out.

Pidge ended up being the one to coax the small cat out into the open during business hours. She would jingle bells or spare bits of wire as she made drinks. In no time, the curious cat was lured into the open. Woody also liked to examine the drink-making equipment. She would sniff at the pieces when the machines were being cleaned, though Pidge made sure to carefully wipe down every surface she sniffed at or stood on. Though she was small, much like her favorite person, neither were to be underestimated and could hold their own against anyone. Even if they were content to let their bigger friends fight battles with them from time to time.

**Simba**

Hunk found Simba, a mountain of a persian, one night when he was taking out the trash. The cat was covered in dirt and grime but stared at him so pleadingly for food or shelter. He didn't think twice before he brought the big, fluffy thing into the cafe. He washed it up and brought the now content cat up to Allura. She called her veterinarian's office and they got the cat looked over. Other than some fleas and some lack of nourishment, he seemed in good health and better spirits. He was even microchipped! But the owner, a kindly older lady, had gotten too ill to care for him. He had been left behind while her relatives got her checked into a nursing home. Hearing the story, Hunk knew he had to look after the friendly cat in her stead.

Hunk spoils Simba like his own child. And Simba is all the sweeter for it. He's a laid-back cat who prefers naps to playing, though he's not above tumbling with Woody or Azure from time to time. He can usually be found basking in the sun or curled up in the cat tree closest to the kitchens. Hunk comes out every so often to sneak him little bits of food and give him affection. He's a real treat for older customers or for customers who aren't really fond of cats. Hunk has a feeling that wherever she is, his original owner is happy he found such a good home.

**Rose**  

Rose was rescued from a shelter that had tried multiple times to rehome her. She got along with other animals just fine. Cats, dogs, lizards, or birds; Rose, a vibrant and gorgeous calico, had no issue with any of them. Her issue was with people. Rose seemed to despise humanity, though the scars she bore from mistreatment were a good reason as to why. Allura took the cat as a last resort. A hope that by interacting with humans only when she wanted to, she could learn to tolerate them.

Allura got what she wished and more when Keith, then a new hire still in training, set his eyes on befriending her. He (semi) patiently bore months of hissing, biting, scratching, and ignoring from the stubborn feline. Say what one might about Keith but he didn't give up easy. With time, Rose began to tolerate him more and more. And then, when a customer wouldn't leave her alone, he pulled her away to safety so she could hide. Not long after that, Rose started to approach him on her own. She edged into his space little by little until she would hop up onto his lap and demand affection. He always smirks and gives her all the pets she can stand. 

Though as soon as she accepted Keith, she also immediately took to Shiro. Because really, no one, man or beast, can resist the charm of Takashi Shirogane for long.

All of the cats in Nine Lives are up for adoption. Except for five very specific, very special cats. Ones that chose their humans and Allura wouldn't take that away from any of them.


	13. In which Lance and Shiro watch the Mew-sketeers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So someone requested Lance and Shiro with the Squeakers, so here it is! It's a bit short but I think it's cute <3 Requests are still open and hey, check out my NSFW companion piece, "Everybody Wants to be a Cat"! 8D It's porny and self-indulgent but also open to requests!

"Don't worry about it, Allura!" Lance grinned, not that she could see it through the phone. "I totally got this....Yes, Shiro is helping me. No we don't need  **Keith!** Keith is the worst at kitten-sitting!" Shiro rolled his eyes and went back to playing with D'Artagnan. The small, grey scottish fold kitten stalked a toy mouse intensely, his sharp eyes on the toy. Aramis, on a small cat tree, batted at Athos, who batted back from a lower branch. Porthos napped in a shoebox nearby.

"Alright. See you in a few hours. Yeah, yeah, cool. Later, babe~" He smirked, then paled. "Ma'am! I meant ma'am! Bye!" He hung up and sighed.

Shiro stared at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"She's super into me."

"Right." Shiro did not sound convinced. He turned back to the kittens, only to find them all missing. "Uh...where...?" A small squeak of a meow alerted them to an open vent right near the cat tree. THe screen hung to one side and Porthos' furry butt disappeared into the opening last. Shiro and Lance looked at one another in horror. Shiro darted for the vent while Lance ran downstairs to tell them to turn off the fans. 

Shiro managed to grab Porthos and Aramis back out, but D'Artagnan and Athos were out of reach. He thought quickly and pulled out a nearby bell toy. One jingle had D'Artagnan close enough to snatch. Athos sat near the end of the vent and squeaked for her fellow foster-siblings. The tiny Russian Blue wasn't one to go off on her own. Shiro smiled and waved his fingers at her. "Hey now, Athos. Come here, sweetheart." 

She wandered over to him and he was able to snag her by the scruff of her neck. He sighed and placed her down, then held the screen back in place. Lance came back up with a longer toy.

"Oh! You got them." Lance sighed. "That was way too close. "

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm gonna work on fixing this. Mind giving them a quick bath? They're covered in dust and grime."

Lance smiled and gathered the kittens into his arms. "Leave it to me! Come on, Squeakers." Shiro smirked and shook his head at the younger man. Lance brought the kittens downstairs to the grooming room. He carefully placed them all in one of the large tubs that was too high for them to climb.

"Now, hold still while I get you nice and pretty for your mom, hmm?" He grinned and got the extendable shower head. The kittens were calm and more curious than scared. At first.

THe second that the water was on, they screamed and mewled and fussed as they tried to escape. Lance groaned and carefully tried to wet them down without getting too much water in their faces. Getting them soaped up was even harder. Athos wouldn't stop crying, Porthos constantly edged out of his reach, Aramis tried to climb him to get out, and D'Artagnan attacked his hand whenever he got close. By the time he had finished washing them, he was more soaked than they were. 

Lance gathered the kittens up in some fluffy towels and carted them back up the stairs. Shiro screwed the last corner back into place, nice and tight. He looked over at Lance and laughed a little. Lance was dripping wet, he had soap in his hair, and his hands were covered in scrapes. Lance huffed slightly and set the kittens down. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up, buddy." 

Shiro smiled and walked over. He wrapped an arm around Lance's shoulders and gave him a light squeeze. "Now now," Shiro said, "You look cute like that. Come on I'll help you bandage your hands up."

Lance blushed slightly and nodded. They both doubted a day of cat-sitting would be easy, but they could get through it together. Probably.


	14. In which Keith is sick (And so is Allura's bod)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SchizoCherri on AO3 asked for Keith being sick and Allura forcing him to rest. So here's that! Final update for tonight, lovelies!

Keith rubbed his throat and glared at his reflection in the mirror. His skin was pale and his eyes were rimmed with red. He'd been fighting off a cold all weekend but Monday morning, it hit and in force. He groaned and tugged on his uniform, though all he really wanted to do was go back to bed. But Allura needed him to help open the cafe. He tugged his winter coat on to warm himself up a bit more and trudged out into the icy winter air.

He stumbled his way to the cafe, his head felt light and it was hard to focus. Still, he made it to the cafe only to nearly fall on his face. Allura looked over at him from the counter. 

"Keith!" She hurried to his side. "Are you alright?"

He tried to push her off slightly. "M'fine." He grunted quietly, though he winced due to the pain in his throat. "I can work. It's fine."

"It most certainly is not fine!" She said as she pulled him to his feet. "Come on now. We need to get you back to bed." 

He leaned against her a little and was honestly surprised by how solid she felt. The sound of bed was tempting but his pride refused to let him rest. He was a man! Not a spoiled kid.

"I can work. I'm alright." He once again pushed himself away and stumbled to lean against a booth. Rose rubbed against his legs. She mewled at him quietly, concern in her tone. "Don't worry about it."

Allura let out a long sigh. "Men." She marched over to him and, without any warning, scooped him up into her arms. He stared at her in shock.

"You're going to bed right now, mister, and that's final. We'll use the couch in the break room." She easily toted him into the break room. He was too stunned to do anything but nod. Rose followed them, chatting in the way concerned cats do. 

Keith insisted he at least be allowed to walk to the couch. He pulled off his winter coat and his vest, then untied his tie, though he left it on. Allura walked off to fetch a blanket from her office upstairs. By the time she came back downstairs, he was already asleep on the couch, Rose on his chest. Allura smiled and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his forehead as she laid the blanket over them.

* * *

 

Keith woke a few hours later. He felt less like death, but still sick. He was surrounded by cats, a glass of water and pills (from Shiro no doubt), a sandwich (Hunk), some extra pillows (Pidge), and even a tiny, badly drawn get well soon card (who else but Lance). He smiled and curled up a bit more. The blanket smelled like Allura. Juniberries and tea and something he couldn't quite name. He blushed and placed a hand to his face.

Had Allura really carried him or had he dreamed it in his feverish haze? He was so, so curious but...perhaps he was better off not knowing.


	15. In which Pidge is the Dashing Hero (Keith swoons again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry I forgot who requested these! I have been adding names where I can and I will go back later and edit back in the requesters if you want! But anyway, someone requested Pidge being protective of Keith this time, so that's what it's gonna be! I hope you like it!

Sendak sighed slightly. "Mr. Kogane, I don't see why you're being so difficult about this. Your Uncle-"

Keith snarled at the man in the suit in front of him. "That...monster is no family of mine. I don't care if my grandparents adopted him. He's nothing to me." Sendak sighed again. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And how do you expect to pay for that apartment of yours on your own? Or schooling? Or your martial arts classes? Don't forget how hard your Uncle works to support you and your mother, especially with her condition. All we suggest is that you talk to your employer about a business arrangement. Otherwise, well...treatment might get a bit too expensive for your Uncle to continue paying for."

Keith's eyes grew wide with horror. "He wouldn't. Even he's not that monstrous."

"Well. That all depends on how you-"

"Keith." Pidge walked over with a hot drink on a tray. "They need you in the back."

Keith looked at them gratefully, then glared at the man. He pushed up from the chair and stormed off.

Pidge watched him go. "So...Zarkon is paying for his mom's medication, huh?" Sendak scoffed slightly and sipped his drink. He made a face at the flavor. Pidge wanted to punch him.

"It's a waste of time, I say. She's going to die anyway. And good riddance." Pidge's slight form shook with rage. "He and his mother are both para-HAUUUUGH!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Pidge dumped the steaming hot drink onto Sendak's nice suit. He screamed in pain and surprise, then pushed himself away from the table.

"You little freak! Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?!" He gathered his things and stormed out. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers! Mr. Galra will not be pleased!" He nearly kicked a cat on his way out, though thankfully it skittered out of the way in time.

Pidge watched him go and scoffed. "Piece of shit." Keith had seen the entire thing from the entrance to the kitchen. He was honored Pidge had gone that far for him, but he was scared about what it might mean for his mother's care. He wanted to approach them but a voice called him from the Kitchens.

"Dude, come here!" called Hunk, "We have something for you."

Keith entered the kitchens. The rest of the employees, along with Allura and Coran, were already gathered. Pidge rejoined them quickly. Lance and Hunk each gave them a high five. Shiro sighed but looked oddly proud. 

Allura stepped forward. "Keith. We all heard about your mother's....illness some time ago and so since then, we've all been putting money aside." She handed him the envelope. "It isn't much but...it's a start."

He accepted it, a bit surprised. He stared up at them and glanced at the numbers. His eyes bulged. There was no way it was this much money. No way. He stared up a them, touched.

"There is one more thing!" Coran said, a grin on his face. Keith wasn't sure he could take more. "Since you mentioned you were having trouble paying rent, one of ours would like to extend an offer."

Hunk stepped forward and grinned. "I could use a roomie. And it would be just me and you. Originally Lance was gonna move in with me but then we heard about your mom and the Galra Co. jerks pushing you around so he asked me to offer it to you instead." Keith turned to stare at Lance. His eyes were filled with unshed tears. He couldn't say a thing.

Lance blushed and looked away. "Yeah, whatever. That's just the kind of awesome guy I am. And Mom wants you to come over for dinner more often. She always cooks for an army anyway and we never seem to finish all our leftovers anyway."

Shiro smiled. "Keith, we're a team. And we're here for you. So don't think you have to change anything or do anything you don't want to do." 

Keith nodded and wiped at his face. He pulled the closest person, Hunk, into a hug. Hunk rubbed his back and smiled at the others who also moved in, so they could hug him or give him a pat on the back. Coran ruffled his hair and grinned wider.

"Thank you. Thank all of you so much." 

"Thank Pidge. It was all their idea. They overheard you mentioning money was tight." Pidge blushed deeply.

"You're important to me. To all of us. I couldn't see you suffering and do nothing."

The group let go of him. He smiled and pulled Pidge into a fierce hug. Then, on a whim, he pulled them into a soft, thankful kiss. They froze for a moment but kissed back, a bit shy. Lance wolf-whistled and Hunk cooed about how adorable they looked together. Shiro was proud of them.

The kiss broke and both quickly stepped away, their faces both bright red. Keith would never hesitate to protect his friends, his family. It was nice to be reminded they had his back too.


	16. In which Shiro loves the other Holt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine, SpookyGhostCurves, wrote a fic for me as part of a trade with one of my fave ships~ So as my half, enjoy some Matt/Shiro 8D This is the only chapter that will not line up with the semi-continuity of the rest of the story. Thanks for reading!

Shiro glanced up when a customer entered the cafe. It was near the end of the day already but the customer would have plenty of time to enjoy the company of the cats. "Welcome to the cafe, I'm Shiro and I'll be your..." He froze as he turned, Matt stared back at him and smiled calmly. "Matt?"

The elder Holt sibling grinned. "Hey, Shiro. Been a while." A joyful cry from the drink counter caught their attention. Pidge grinned at Matt and hopped over the counter like it was nothing, then tackled him into a hug. "Whoa, easy there, Pidge."

"Matt!" They grinned up at him, their eyes full of tears. "I thought you were gonna be in the desert all summer studying to be an astronaut!"

"Heh, so did I. But I heard you got yourself some boyfriends so I had to come see if they were on the level." He winked at Shiro.

"And a girlfriend. Allura and I worked things out."

Matt smiled at Pidge. "I'm proud of you, kiddo. How about you go round them up so I can meet them later? Shiro and I have some catching up to do too." They pouted at their brother but nodded and darted off. He grinned at Shiro and his heart nearly stopped. He smiled back weakly.

The two took a seat nearby and got comfortable. Mamoru hopped onto Shiro's lap while Woody wound herself around Matt's ankles.

"So," said Shiro, trying and failing to seem casual, "You're in town for a while, huh?" 

Matt's head fell slightly. "Yeah. You could say that. I um...I left the program." 

"What? But being an astronaut was your dream! What happened?!" Shiro sounded more concerned for his oldest friend than upset. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But...during those months you were gone, I was so scared. I didn't know if you were alive or dead or what and I was worried that...I'd never get to see you again. That I'd never tell you..." He sighed. "So when you came back, I was way too far into my program to come stop by, to see you." He reached out for Shiro's hand. "I had to see you. I was devastated without you around."

Shiro blushed. He smiled and took Matt's hand in his. He knew he shouldn't have hoped so highly but he'd been in love with Matt since high school. They had always lived so far apart, however, that nothing ever came of it. They always seemed to miss one another by a hair. Once he had gotten home from the war and felt more stable, Matt had left for training.

"I...Matt. The thought of you was often the only thing that kept me going back then. I lost so much..." He glanced at his arm, thought of the year he spent in captivity. The things they forced him to do. "But seeing you again...It's nice. But I don't want that to get in the way of your dream."

Matt grinned. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Shiro's cheek. "I might have found a new dream. Besides, I can still work with space stuff. I just don't think going up there is as much of a priority as it used to be. Not since you got home."

Shiro smiled and took Matt's face in his hands. He pulled the other man in for a deep, lasting, long overdue kiss. Matt kissed back like he had been waiting to do it since he arrived. They stayed close for several seconds until they finally broke apart for air. A polite cough from nearby caught their attention. They turned to see Allura watching, a blush on her cheeks.

"If you would like to have one of the others take the closing shift, Shiro, they have offered to take it." She smiled. "You two go and reconnect. Feel free to come by tomorrow for proper introductions, Mr. Holt."

Matt smiled and Shiro felt like melting. "Thank you kindly, Miss Allura. Good luck with Pidge. They're a handful." He winked and twined his fingers with Shiro's. "Shall we?"

"Yeah." Shiro squeezed Matt's hand gently. "Let's."


	17. In which Pidge is doted upon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CaptainPicard here on AO3 wanted fic of Pidge being doted on by everyone. And I love writing for Pidge and especially Pidge being spoiled so here we go!

Pidge worked hard to make sure all their ~~lovers~~ fellow employees and their darling boss were happy and taken care of. They listened in on conversations to hear for things that had gone wrong, made them just the right drinks they needed to get them through a tough day, or helped them through tough times by finding solutions they couldn't have thought of on their own. A few days before their birthday, they all gathered together to discuss how best to repay them. 

"We could get them a dog," offered Hunk, "but a robot one! That you can build yourself! They'd love that!" He smiled hopefully while the others considered it. 

"Not a bad idea," said Shiro, "Anyone else?"

"Training?" Keith suggested at the exact same time Lance said "Dancing!" The two glared at one another. "Working on their Muy Thai helped them work through stress." Keith insisted, his eyes fierce.

"Yeah, so will working on their salsa with me. You can't pretty your way to a win this time, Keith." Lance glared down at him. Keith blushed a little but his gaze didn't waver. "Stop that pout. That's unfair."

"Focus!" Shiro sighed and looked to Allura. "Miss?"

Allura hummed. "Keith, they said they wanted to go dancing a bit more often. We can save training for another day." Keith grumbled but leaned back. 

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Hunk grinned and patted his shoulder. "You can help me! I'm gonna make a huge batch of peanut butter cupcakes. I could use an assistant." Keith considered it, then nodded. Hunk hummed and leaned it to press a quick kiss to Keith's forehead. "Sweet."

Keith turned bright red and gave Hunk a light shove to hide how embarrassed he felt by the show of affection. Hunk just grinned, the monster.

"Alright, that's settled. Allura, do you have plans already or...?"

"I have something, yes, but that can come before the salsa class." She smiled, "But we'll be back before it gets too late. What about you, Shiro?"

Shiro smirked. The rest of them forced back a blush. "Don't worry about it."

 

* * *

 

The day of Pidge's birthday arrived. They started their day normally. They woke up, called their parents through skype as they had breakfast (Their parents were in Germany currently, visiting relatives), took a shower, and got ready for work. As Pidge stepped out of their apartment, a sleek, black sports car pulled up. One of the back windows rolled down to reveal Allura with a grin on her face.

"Pidge, beloved! Come in, come in. I'll give you a ride today." Pidge smiled and slipped into the car next to their girlfriend. They traded light kisses before Coran began driving once more. "Happy birthday, love."

Pidge blushed and smiled at her. "You didn't have to drive out all this way just for my birthday, Allura." They placed their hand on hers and gave it a light squeeze. "But thanks."

"Nonsense. I should pick you up every day." She hummed and pecked Pidge's cheek. "Though after work, would you mind joining me for a short errand?"

Pidge blinked at her, then nodded. "Sure~ It's a date." They smiled wide and Allura swooned just a little bit. She wanted to steal Pidge away for the day but the others all deserved turns with them. Another time perhaps.

 

* * *

 

They arrived at the cafe in record time. Shiro and Hunk were already inside as they readied the cafe for opening. Coran opened the door for the two in the car, then drove it behind the building to park it. Pidge entered and was immediately swept up in Shiro's arms. One was around their waist, the other under their rear to keep them supported. He flashed them a calm, stunning smile, then stole a quick kiss. "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart." One of his hands came up to tuck something into their hair which snapped into place with a soft click.

They blushed and buried their face in his neck. "Don't do that..." they whined quietly with a flustered grin, "It's not fair."

In the doorway, Allura pouted. Showoff. Nevermind he had done that for her just the other day when they'd spent the night together. Today was about making Pidge happy.

Shiro hummed and nuzzled their cheek, then set them down. "All's fair in love and war." He smirked and they felt an arrow go through their heart. "Just take it easy today, yeah?"

They huffed, then walked off towards the back room to look at their new hair clip. They gasped when they saw it. A small green star with their favorite constellation patterned on it. They grinned and touched it lightly, then ran back out to throw their arms around Shiro's middle. He smiled down at them, ruffled their hair, then shot Allura a victorious smile. He flashed a peace sign and Allura fumed slightly.

Damn him for being so pretty and perfect. He'd pay for that later.

 

* * *

 

Pidge stayed at the bar for most of the day. When their break arrived, they made their way to the back room only to be tugged into it by Keith who quickly closed and blocked the door with a chair. Pidge stared at him, surprised. "Keith, wha-"

They had no time to respond as they were pinned to the wall by his body. They stared up at him in shock, then frowned. "We don't have enough time for that today."

He smirked. "I know. But I still...can't help seeing you looking so cute and happy and wanting to make it better." They blushed slightly. "May I, love?" They groaned.

"Not fair..." They looked away and blushed. "Calling me that when we're like this. Just don't leave any marks."

He grinned and leaned in to kiss them, fierce and passionate. They rose up on their tip-toes to meet him. His hands roamed all over their slim frame as he captured their lips and tongue over and over. They gasped into his lips as he continued to run his hands over them. He wanted them so badly. Wanted to see their cute face as he brought them to the edge again and again and again. He eventually broke the kiss to trail his lips down to their neck where he nipped and suckled at their skin. He smirked into them at every gasp or whimper, he pressed his hips into theirs and then-

"Keith, please," they whimpered, their face dazed with want. "If we can m-make it quick..." they started stuttering over their words slightly and Keith pulled back. This wasn't the first time the two of them had done something like this on break, after all. 

"As you wish, Pidge." He pulled them away from the wall and toward the couch in the break room. He'd like to see the others beat this.

 

* * *

 

Hunk's approach, in comparison, was a lot more subtle. He rolled his eyes when Keith and Pidge emerged from the break room, both of them looked debauched and pleased. Keith pecked their cheek, gave them a slight push in Hunk's direction, then strode off. Hunk smiled and held out his hand for Pidge who took it, only slightly embarrassed at being caught. He took their hand and pulled it to his lips to give it a slight kiss. "Aren't you getting spoiled today, cupcake?" 

They laughed and tugged him down to kiss him. He could still taste Keith, not that he minded any. "It's my birthday. What other day is spoiling allowed?"

He grinned. "Well for you, spoiling should be an every-day thing." He pulled them into the kitchen and stepped aside. A mountain of their favorite peanut butter cookie cupcakes sat in front of them. "Speaking of, you should also thank Keith for helping me make these. The man is an efficient as hell baker when he wants to be." He wrapped his arm around their waist.

"Oh Hunk, that's way too many!" He grinned. "Unless...the reason Keith was allowed to distract me like that was so you all could set something up."

"That was my idea by the way." Hunk smiled and offered them his arm. They took it and he could feel them vibrate with excitement. He handed them a cupcake and brought them out to the main room. Inside, all sorts of friends had gathered. Pidge's classmates, their favorite regulars, and even Matt had managed to make it to see them. Matt chatted with Shiro, then flashed them a wave. 

They waved back weakly, then looked up at Hunk. "You're the best..." They whispered. They pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged back and picked them up slightly.

"Anything for you, sugar."

 

* * *

 

Allura tugged them away for a spa day after the party and presented them with a brand new dress, perfect for the salsa classes they attended with Lance. As Allura pulled up to the dance club, Lance waited outside in a button-up shirt and slacks, his hair slightly mussed. Pidge felt their heart race slightly. He turned toward the car with a soft, gentle smile.

Both Allura and Pidge swooned a tiny bit. "He can be so charming," Allura remarked, "When he isn't talking as much."

Pidge nodded. They left the car, kissed Allura goodbye, then joined Lance for the class. He held them close and showed them off to everyone else in the room. They laughed as they spun and twirled around the floor. He spun them, dipped them, and when they pulled up at the last song, he pulled them all the way into a deep, loving kiss. They blushed but kissed back and laughed against his lips. Lance broke the kiss first, oblivious to the cheering crowd around them.

"Let's get out of here. Your place?" He smiled at them and winked. They couldn't help it. They swooned in front of him. Curse his ego. "Awesome~" He spun them again, then walked them back to his car. A pile of presents from the others sat in the back seat. They gasped and looked up at him. He winked.

"You can thank them tomorrow. Allura's keeping the cafe closed but Hunk invited us over for breakfast and movies. You in?"

They nodded rapidly and placed their hand on his arm as they drove back to Pidge's small apartment. 

"Whose birthday is next?" They asked as they drove.

"Mmm. Not sure. Keith's, I think."

They nodded, then smirked. "Alright. We'll have to start planning. I'm not losing to Shiro this year."

"And I'm not losing to either of you! I know Keith like I know the back of my hand!"

Pidge laughed hard. Even if they weren't spoiled this much every day of the year, they still wouldn't trade the people they loved for anything.

 


	18. In which we see the hell that was pre-Pidge/Allura (Lance thinks he can help)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend, SpiderDreamer requested Lance trying to be a wingman for Pidge and Allura. This chapter has so far been the hardest to write so forgive me for shortness!

Pidge was in hell. They were sure of this fact. Was this what Shiro had gone through during his many attempts to ask them out? If so, they had a whole new appreciation for his dedication. They sighed and wiped down the bar again, then glanced up toward the stairs. How hard should it really be? All they had to do was go upstairs and talk to Allura. Ask her to dinner. That was it. Still, they wondered if Allura even noticed them.

"So. Lady troubles, hmm?" Lance sidled up to them. They rolled their eyes, then leaned into him slightly. They loved him dearly but the man was a nuisance when he wanted to be. "Why not let me help you?"

"Why would I do that?" They shot him a flat look. He continued, unfazed.

"Well, Pidge, as the resident ladies man-"

"-In your own mind maybe-" They muttered to themselves,

"-I think I know what it takes to woo a maiden fair." He grinned at them. "And I will tell you. For only a slight cost."

They sighed. They were desperate but were they desperate enough to ask Lance? Really? Had they fallen that low?

"Name your price, Lance."

Yes. Yes they had.

Lance grinned at them. "I need a date to my cousin Bonita's wedding. Want in?" They considered it, then nodded. "Awesome! Okay so what you need to do is just go up and kiss her. Just, plant a big one right on her lips."

They stared at him. "Lance that....I mean, that's something but it's not particularly tactful."

He shrugged. "Maybe not. But hey, just try it. You two have been dancing around one another since the Elloise thing. Just...go do it, yeah?"

Pidge stared up at him, sighed, and nodded. "Yeah. You're probably right. I'm overthinking it again, huh?" They smiled and took his hand, then tugged him down to peck his cheek. "Thanks, Lance." He blushed and nodded.

"I got this. You go on up."

They grinned and darted in back, then up the stairs. Just as they knocked on the door to her office, Allura emerged. She looked down and smiled at them.

"Oh! Pidge," she said, "Just the person I was hoping to see. Please, come in, I have something I need to talk to you abo-"

She didn't get to finish as Pidge took her shoulders and pulled her into a quick, chaste kiss. Allura stared at them, baffled but not displeased.

"Sorry," they murmured.

"Well...that certainly makes things...easier." She smiled. "I was...hoping to ask you to dinner. Tomorrow night?"

Pidge was shocked that it had worked. They nodded. 

Well, even broken clocks were right twice a day.


	19. In which Shiro comes home after a no good very bad day (and Pidge is waiting)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over on the Tumblr, Shylnnofdoom asked for a fic where Shiro has a bad day and Pidge is supportive, and I wanted to write that~! 8D So heeere we go!

Shiro practically stumbled through the doorway into his apartment. The day had been hell. Endless requests from customers that could never be pleased, the cats wouldn't stop acting out, and Keith and Lance were having another spat. On top of that, he hadn't slept well the night before. He had struggled through nightmare after nightmare only to wake up screaming just before dawn. He hadn't tried going back to bed after that. He tugged his shoes off and went to go shower when there was a knock at the door.

He growled, low in his throat, and threw the door open. "What?!" he snarled, his teeth gritted. He immediately regretted it when he saw Pidge, Mamoru in their arms, on his doorstep. "Oh! Oh god, Pidge, I'm so, so sorry, I..." he didn't know what to say or how to say it to convey how badly he felt.

They smiled at him weakly. "It's okay. You had a tough time today." They held up his favorite cat who only purred. "So I thought we'd offer some better company."

He smiled and pulled them into a hug. "Thanks, sweetheart." He kissed their temple gently. "Let me just go shower and we can watch a movie or something. Just you and me. Make yourself comfortable."

They nodded and hurried in. They placed Mamoru down and he trotted over to the large cat tree that Shiro had installed. Shiro preferred to leave Mamoru at the cafe despite being his legal owner, as the cat enjoyed the company of other cats. Still, he made sure to have the supplies in his home just in case. He went into his small bathroom to shower off, as quickly as possible. The hot water did wonders for his sore muscles. 

He could have sworn he heard the doorbell ring while he showered but brushed it off. After the shower, he dried himself, put on a pair of boxers and a comfy pair of sweatpants, then headed back out to the couch. He stared at the mountain of take out containers.

Pidge grinned at him, wearing nothing but one of his own tee shirts. It was extremely large on their slim body but he found the look incredibly cute. "I hope you don't mind. I ordered all your favorites on the way here." 

He shook his head and settled in next to them on the couch. He kissed their neck gently and pulled them close against his chest. "No, I don't mind at all. You're too good, Pidge."

Pidge hummed and settled in against him.

 

* * *

 Some time later, after food and movies and more than a few rounds of slow, easy lovemaking, both Shiro and Pidge were about ready for bed. He kissed their neck again as he wrapped his arms around them from behind. They let out a content, sleepy sigh. He smiled and pulled them closer. His body shook. If anything ever happened to them, he'd fall apart. He knew that for sure.

"I love you...." He whispered. They glanced back at him. He realized that this was the first time, out loud, he'd admitted as much.

They smiled at him, gentle and warm. :"I love you too..." they replied in the same kind whisper.

He grinned. No matter what sort of day he had, he knew he always had Pidge to make it so, so much better.


	20. In which Hunk falls for the cute Candy shop girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merp here on AO3 asked for Hunk and Shay cuteness so here we go~! 8D

Hunk peeked out of the kitchen for the fifth time that day. Shay, her hair in its normal braid, played with Simba and Mamoru, both fluffy monsters clambered over her shoulders and lap to try and get to the cupcake on the plate in front of her. She giggled and pulled Simba closer. Hunk let out a dreamy sigh. There was something so charming about her. Yeah, they were friends. Good friends!

Keith paused as he passed to pick up a drink. He looked between Hunk, then Shay, then back to Hunk. His expression was flat but one eyebrow started to rise.

"Hey, don't judge, man. I mean, you used to do the same thing with Pidge! Not...not that I like her. LIke you like Pidge. Ahaha."

"Dude."

Shay looked over at them and waved. Keith flashed a calm salute while Hunk frantically waved back. Keith glanced at his friend and paled. Hunk looked on the verge of crying. "Dude!" Keith repeated, concerned.

"I can't do it, man. She's too great. She's tough, she's gorgeous, she's funny and kind and brave..." He sighed and slipped back into the kitchen. Keith, ever the dutiful friend, followed. "And I know, I should just talk to her but what does a girl like that want from me? Yeah, I'm not super smart or cool or funny but hey, I bake a mean chocolate cake!" 

Keith put his hand on Hunk's shoulder. "You're great. We'd all be a mess without you." He smiled. "And if not for you..."

"You and Pidge would have torn each other to shreds when you met?"

"Exactly." He smiled wider when Hunk chuckled. "Go. Talk to her. I'll handle kitchen cleanup tonight."

"Okay." Hunk smiled and pulled Keith into a hug. "You're my best friend, you know that, Keith?"

Keith blushed horribly and hugged back. "Cut that out. You're rumpling my uniform." He pulled back and straightened Hunk's uniform for him. "Now go. Be great." He wasn't sure if it was in the right context but he'd heard Shiro say it enough.

Hunk nodded and strode out. Keith followed and moved over to the drink table. Hunk would be fine.

"Um, Shay?" Hunk coughed and cleared his throat. "Are you, uh..y'know, doing anything later?"

Shay smiled up at him and shook her head. "No, not today. Why?" She stared up at him, her gorgeous eyes full of hope and light. He froze. Then, he thawed. 

"Wanna go see a movie tonight? My treat."

Shay gasped and nodded quickly. "I would be most delighted! I had hopes that you would invite me on an outing."

He let out a sigh. "Well I understand. I mean, I'm probably not your first pick, but this doesn't have to make things weird. We can still be friends and-wait."

He stared at her. "Was that...a yes?"

She nodded, a bit confused.

"Oh. Oooh. OH!" He grinned and pulled her out of her chair into a hug. "I promise it'll be the best date you've ever had!"

Shay laughed as he spun her. She giggled and shot Keith a thankful look. He smirked at her slightly, then returned to work. Lance sidled up to him.

"So. Be honest. How much of your motivation for helping them was the fact that you get to close up with Shiro tonight?"

Keith blushed and punched Lance's arm lightly. "None." Lance grinned at him smugly. Keith wanted to punch it off of him. Or kiss it. Stupid Lance. "I mean it!"

"Right. Suuure." Lance looked over at the two, still lost in their own little world. "They're cute, huh?"

Keith smiled and nodded. "Yeah."


	21. In which we see how Keith and Pidge first met (and how their cats got them together)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *_* and others wanted to see how Keith and Pidge swapping cats and how they first met. Enjoy!

Keith glanced down at Pidge who was curled up against his side in his bed. He pulled them closer. They let out a sleepy, content sigh. He smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of their head. He often wondered how he ended up so lucky. As he sat back, he remembered their first meeting.

* * *

 

Shiro, a childhood friend of his despite a two-year age gap, moved at the same time his own family did to their current city. Keith had always admired Shiro, in more ways than could be considered strictly platonic. Not that he planned to do anything about it. He was never sure how to be around people. He tended to worry too much about making things weird and so people often considered him a loner or standoffish. He also had a rather bad temper.

When Shiro returned from overseas, minus an arm but with tons more emotional baggage, Keith became his constant companion. He worked odd jobs but got fired from them all relatively quickly. It wasn't in his nature to let insults or arguments go. Shiro suggested they both get jobs at a nearby cafe. He said that the cats might help him be able to keep his calm. Keith had to say, it wasn't a bad idea. He did love animals. Animals didn't judge.

Keith followed Shiro to the other man's new job and was immediately introduced to Hunk, the chef, and Pidge, the Barista. Shiro and Pidge had some history. Apparently Shiro's old friend Matt had a younger sibling that Shiro was also friends with. Keith immediately felt jealous of their closeness and their ease in the other's presence. That and despite seeming tiny and delicate, Pidge had a sharp tongue. Not that they meant it. Sometimes things just slipped out. Keith understood that.

He was less understanding when he overheard Pidge ask Shiro about him. The exact question was something along the lines of "who took a dump in his breakfast?" and he frowned at them deeper. His hearing had always been better than most. Pidge blinked then glared back. That was...unusual.

Still, when he was ready to leave, he took an application with him to fill out. Like hell he was going to leave Shiro with anyone that couldn't watch their mouth. Shiro was still so fragile after his time in combat. He needed someone that could look after him.

He got the job as a waiter, same as Shiro. The two of them worked hard together, though he considered cutting his hair short. It tended to get in the way. He eyed a pair of scissors nearby when he bumped into Hunk. The taller man grinned and gave Keith a hair tie. "I usually keep these around for Pidge, but they don't need them as much anymore."

He blinked. "Pidge had long hair?" Hunk nodded and showed Keith a picture from when the cafe started. Pidge was there in the same uniform but they didn't have glasses and their hair looked so much longer. They looked lovely. Like a little princess. He felt a bit of heat light his cheeks. Hunk smirked and patted his shoulder. He liked Hunk. Hunk was simple and easy to understand most times. Pidge...not so much.

Pidge could switch from cheerful to grumpy on a dime. They tended to babble about things Keith didn't understand and while he found it relaxing, he wondered if they thought he was dumb. But he wasn't. Dumb. He wasn't a genius like Hunk or Pidge but he was smart in his own right. It was another thing that bugged him about Pidge.

Who did they think they were? Some kind of prodigy? They looked 15. He huffed and watched them at the counter. Well, that wasn't true. They looked his age, but smaller. He despised every moment they stole Shiro's attention. Didn't they know they could hurt him? Then it happened. They mentioned his arm. He readied himself to dash over, to snarl and get them away, up until they pulled something out from below the counter.

It was a perfect robotic prosthetic.

He stared at them, as did Shiro. They grinned and offered to teach him how to work it. Shiro patiently obliged and slipped his current prosthetic off. He never took off his prosthetic around people he didn't trust. They carefully slipped the new arm on and Shiro winced a bit but when he flexed it, the fingers moved. There was near-perfect articulation in every joint. Keith could only stare. Shiro smiled and pulled them into a hug. They hugged back.

Had they made that for Shiro? He had mentioned something to that effect but this? This was a work of art. Shiro thanked Pidge over and over out loud. Keith wanted to thank them too. They had no idea how badly Shiro had missed having a normal arm. Shiro glanced over at him, waved with his new arm, and whooped with joy. Keith looked away, a smile on his face. Tears clouded his vision. So maybe the little nerd wasn't so bad.

But the final moment was the time Rose got out. Rose had slipped out the door and Pidge immediately hopped the counter to chase her. He went to follow but he had tables to serve. He waited for nearly an hour. Woody, the tiny munchkin that preferred Pidge, stayed close to him, She wove around his ankles and tried to get under his hand. He wondered if she was trying to comfort him.

He picked Woody up and waited a bit longer. Rose was tough but she was a small little calico. What if she picked a fight with a dog and got hurt? Or got hit by a car? He shook slightly. Rose was his favorite, the brat. What if he never saw her again?

The bell above the cafe jingled. He heard a familiar grumpy yowl and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Pidge was there, Rose in their arms. They were covered in dirt, scratches, and bumps. Their uniform, hands, and face were all a mess. They brought Rose over to him and grinned and his heart stopped again but for a totally different reason. They smiled and turned to walk away after he took Rose.

"Wait!" He'd said. "We should get you cleaned up first. You look awful." He winced slightly. "And...thank you."

Pidge stared at him, smiled again, and nodded. "Sure." Fuck, they were cute weren't they?

As he carefully patched them up, he tried not to eyes linger over their face or in their eyes or on their small, soft lips. 

"You know, Keith, I didn't think you liked me." They gave Woody a light pet. Rose sat by his side.

"I like you fine." He muttered. They hummed in response.

"Hey, where do you go after work?" He glanced up at them.

"Martial arts training."

"Oooh. Can I come? I want to learn that too."

He stared. They seemed genuine enough. He nodded. "Alright."

They grinned wide. He blushed once more. He was in trouble.


	22. In which Hunk has a panic attack and Space parents come to the rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainydaystars asked for someone having a panic attack and Space parents to the rescue. I'm sorry this wasn't super shippy but I still like it~ Hope you do too!

Hunk was obviously the most sensitive employee there. He took his cooking very seriously. It made him happy to have people enjoy his food. He also fed the cats a special blend of meat and nutrients to keep them healthy and content. Hunk took more pride in his work than anyone else at the store. And when people said they loved his food, it sent him to cloud nine. Nothing could compare to that joy.

However, when people didn't like his food...

No, it wasn't even that. He could take people not liking his food. But when they flat out insulted it? That was less easy to deal with. As was the case earlier that day.

A bunch of teens had wandered in. They ordered coffee and cupcakes. He should have known they were trouble when he saw them snicker at Shiro's missing arm. One called the man Cyborg and he saw the hard set of Shiro's face. They then insulted Pidge's coffee and it took him, Allura, and Coran to keep Pidge and Keith from going after them. He brought out their food when it was ready and he was about to tell them off. But...

"Ugh, this is the worst. Is nothing in here good?" He frowned. Rude. But he turned to go back to the kitchen. That was when he heard the thumps. One of the teens was squeezing another's middle as they coughed up a chunk of food. They all glared at him.

"My friend could have died! What is this, bread or rocks?!" He paled more. 

"I...I didn't..." He backed away, his face pale. He'd almost killed someone. He didn't notice the sly glances passed between some of the other teens. He instead ran back into the bathroom. Shiro and Allura traded glances, then followed. 

Allura paused to nod to Keith and Pidge. They both grinned and cracked their knuckles. Lance used a broomstick to tilt the store camera up so that it caught none of what was about to happen. Coran used a plant to block the other camera. It caused him to throw out his back again, but Lance hurried over to help him. The teens cackled amongst themselves up until they felt the two figures loom over them.

Keith scowled, his eyes dart. Pidge smirked and held a set of keys between their fingers. The gathered regulars looked away. No one pulled out a camera.

Back in the kitchen, Hunk curled up in a small corner. Shiro knelt on one side of him, Allura on the other.

"I could have killed someone. I mean, they were jerks but...but that poor kid could have died!" Allura rubbed his back gently. "I mean, how can you cook after killing someone with food?!"

Allura sighed. "I don't know...but I do know the child had been faking. They're fine." Shiro nodded.

"People like that are awful. But Hunk? You're the best person here. You're always so kind, so polite. Everyone loves you. Just relax. I promise it'll be alright."

Hunk glanced up at him, sniffed, and smiled.

"Really" He hiccuped through a nervous tear. Shiro nodded.

"Really."


	23. In which Corran has the best/worst timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon on Tumblr asked for Coran constantly walking in on people and I am more than happy to oblige. THIS ONE IS TO YOU, ANON.

In hindsight, Coran should have known it was going to be one of those days when he almost walked in on Allura and Shiro in the shower. In his defense, the man had no idea Shiro had spent the night, nor that Allura was in the bathroom. He stayed in a room on the first floor of the small estate her father had left to her. He, despite no longer being employed as her butler, still tried to take care of her. He managed the household chores for the most part, which included refilling the towel closets with fresh towels. 

He had been off in his own little world when he went to open the door to her bathroom. No water had been started yet and it was her day off. Still, as he turned the nob, he heard a pair of gasps.

"C-Coran, wait!"

"Oh! Allura! I had no idea you were there! Terribly sorry." He closed the door shut and placed the towels on a nearby table. "More towels out here if you and your...ah...guest need them!"

"Thank you!" her voice sounded strained with embarrassment. He felt a bit bad. Then he heard a quiet, deep murmuring he could only assign to one Takashi Shirogane. He smiled to himself. Allura would be fine, the man was more comforting than any other human Coran had ever met. He walked off to prepare breakfast, chuckling. They both came down eventually, hair wet and sheepish. He simply smiled and left them to their day alone. Someone had to run the cafe after all.

When he arrived, Hunk was there to help him open up. They chatted and Hunk laughed at Coran's retelling of that morning. Hunk immediately told the story to Lance as soon as he arrived to help finish opening prep work. The two laughed and joked until Pidge and Keith stumbled in, both looking exhausted. Coran figured they had spent the night together as well and hoped it meant they would be able to focus on work for the day.

Not that all the escapades of the various employees was an issue to be concerned about. Far from it. They had never been a more effective and content team. The only major downside was that he tended to walk in on many of them in....compromising positions. His sense of timing had always been a curse.

He was proven right about his earlier theory when he walked into the kitchen to find Hunk and Pidge making out like teenagers. Pidge sat up on a countertop, one of Hunk's hand on their thigh, the other tangled in their hair. Their glasses were skewed and both looked horrified at the intrusion. He sighed. 

"Really? Right now?" Hunk took a few large strides away from Pidge. Pidge also blushed and fixed their glasses. "You both have work to be doing. Make out on your own time." They nodded and Pidge hopped down from the counter to scurry off. He shot Hunk another withering look, though really, he was more amused than upset. Ah to be young.

It was less amusing the third time. He stepped into the break room to ask Keith about one of the cats. Keith and Lance were both their. Lance had his shirt off and was looking particularly flustered and debauched. Keith seemed straight-faced but Coran could see the red at the tips of his ears. He glared at them both. 

"We're on our break." muttered Keith, his eyes on Coran's. Lance seemed to be dying. He let out a strained whimper.

"Yes. But this is not an approved use for the break room. Save it for home, Keith." Keith huffed and looked away.

Lance seemed to lean up and whisper something which made both of them grin. Coran didn't know what but he heard "Pidge" and that was enough to send him power-walking out. Whatever those three got up to in their alone time was something he wanted no part of.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was incident-free. They closed up for the night and the four young employees took off. They discussed a horror movie night at Hunk and Keith's place and Coran bid them farewell. He hoped Allura and Shiro had enjoyed a relaxing day off. And there would be no disasters to go back to. 

He parked his car and hummed. Maybe he'd spend the night watching movies as well. Or he'd go to visit one of his friends for some cards. His old gang still met up at the pub around the corner. He nodded to himself. Yes, a night spent drinking and swapping stories would be best.

He would especially need the drink when he walked in on Allura and Shiro on the kitchen table together.


	24. In which Allura and Pidge are just gals being pals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright so a lot of people asked for another Allura/Pidge chapter and I am here to deliver! Shoutout to Baichan on tumblr as this is part of an art trade~

It was a dull, stiflingly hot morning in the cafe. The AC was out in the building and so, for the safety of the cats, the kitchen was closed. Fans were set up all over and a few cats chased ice cubes across the floor of the play area. Many others, like Mamoru and Simba, sprawled across the cool tiles of the countertops. Pidge groaned and pressed their face onto the counter as well.

"This is it." They announced. "This is how we die."

There were some groans of agreement from Lance and Hunk. Hunk was slumped in an empty chair while Lance sprawled out across a couch, noodly limbs spread wide. Shiro tried to cool himself with a paper fan he had picked up from a nearby store.

"You're being a bit dramatic. It'll pass." He glanced at his favorite cat and turned the fan toward Mamoru instead to try and help cool the poor creature off. Keith came into the main room from the wash room, covered in scrapes and scratches. He gently set Rose down and she hissed at him, then sat to lick at her damp fur. 

"Next time." he said, his eye twitching, "We leave Rose to roll out in the dirt and we let her stay dirty." Keith didn't mind the heat or humidity much, but it still got to him at times. He had stripped out of most of his uniform save for his pants and the dress shirt. He ruffled Pidge's hair as he went to slump on the floor next to the couch where Lance was still laying. Azul meowed loudly from on top of the couch.

"It  **is** hot as balls, Azul. You are absolutely right."

Another meow.

"Yeah, the AC guy should be here later tonight."

Azul stood and slipped down to the armrest closest to Lance's head. She carefully groomed his hair.

"Thanks, bud. You're the best."

Pidge smiled and glanced at the others. They perked up when Allura entered the room. She had a basket full of damp washcloths, all rolled up neatly. Pidge immediately grabbed one and unfurled it, then let it rest across the back of their neck. They let out a noise of sheer relief that left the other five in the room blushing. "Oh thank the merciful Gods."

Allura giggled and left the basket on the counter as the other employees slowly made their way over to grab one. "You know, Pidge, if you like, I can try putting your hair up a bit. It's long enough now, right?"

Pidge glanced up at her, then nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I'd appreciate it. I was never very good at that stuff."

Allura smiled and Pidge felt their face heat up, just a slight bit. They glanced down as Allura left to fetch a brush and some hair ties. When they looked up, Hunk and Lance were still nearby and they smirked at Pidge.

"Yeah yeah, shut up. You two are just jealous." They smirked as Lance pouted but Hunk just shrugged.

"Honestly more for the hairbrushing than anything. Getting someone else to brush your hair is the most relaxing thing in the world."

Lance nodded in agreement. "Yeah, true."

Pidge hummed. No one had tried to brush their hair since they were young. They had kept it short since Matt had moved away, more because it was a hassle to put it up every morning before work. Allura returned downstairs with a small brush, the bristles made of a synthetic hair. She stood behind Pidge and smiled down at them. 

"Ready?" Pidge blushed and nodded, then turned away. Allura carefully worked the brush through their dirty blonde locks and slowly worked out knots, tangles and snags with practiced ease. Pidge couldn't help but wince due to a few of the knots but eventually they lost themselves to Allura's gentle motions. They felt like they were about to fall asleep when a gentle tug pulled them back to alertness.

Allura slipped a band around their hair, twisted it, then repeated the motion. She let go and Pidge's hair was up in a cute, if small, ponytail. She grinned and tugged a compact mirror out of her purse. "How's that?"

Pidge glanced at her reflection as best as she was able, then smiled. "I like it!" She turned to the others. "How about you guys?"

Awed blushes and stunned silence answered her. She blinked, oblivious. Allura giggled to herself and fought off a blush of her own.

Pidge really was far too cute to be legal with their hair up.


	25. In Which Keith is oblivious to flirting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for so long without updates. I'm gonna try to knock out a bunch of shorter requests today and tomorrow to make up for lost time. However, until further notice, ALL REQUESTS ARE CLOSED and Nine lives will be taking a short hiatus while I work on other fics. I am sorry but I have so many good ones that I want to get written before I ask for more. Thank you for understanding! A wonderful reader, thisisagreatstoryomg2000, asked for Keith being oblivious to flirting. So have some jealous Pidge!

Keith prided himself on being an observant man. He tended to notice things other people missed. He helped spot faults in Pidge's machines whenever Pidge worked on improving them. He could tell when a cake wasn't browning the way it should, even through the smudged oven door. He knew just when to distract Shiro to prevent a flashback or breakdown. All in all, Keith was probably the most attentive person in the building, save for Allura who seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. 

Which is what made it so frustrating for Pidge when he could never seem to notice customers flirting with him. Yes, he was a handsome man and yeah, he was an attentive waiter. Plus when he played with the cats, he had the most wonderful smile. Still, they glanced around the crowded cafe where all eyes were on Keith. Their hands twitched. They had to fix this.

* * *

 

It had started off with a comment from Allura. Someone had remarked on the Nine Lives website that Keith's sullen expression had made them uncomfortable. Shiro and Allura brainstomed on how to discuss this with Keith. He would ignore criticism like that for the most part. But perhaps if they made it a competition...Keith was competitive and a bit petty so any hint at a challenge and he rose to meet it without fail. Shiro and Allura elected Pidge to figure out the best way to get him involved. Pidge was only too happy to comply.

"Hey, Keith!" They waved him over as he came in for his shift. He slipped off his fingerless gloves from his motorcycle and tied his long hair up in a ponytail. He looked down at Pidge as they smirked up at him. "Not that I dislike the whole grumpycat thing you have going on all the time but Allura's worried you're gonna spook customers. So I have a little bet for you."

Keith was a bit concerned but seemed to brush it off. The word "bet" lit a small spark in his eyes. Pidge had to fight off a devious smirk. Keith kept his expression stubbornly neutral. "Name your bet."

They hummed then grinned up at him. "I bet you can't smile at every customer who comes in without scaring them off." He glared down at Pidge who stared innocently back up at him. "Come on, think of it as practice. The better you are at making customers feel welcome, the more they'll tip!" 

Keith pouted at them. "My smile isn't that scary."

"Your forced one for customers is." He looked to them. They smiled up at him slightly, mirth and mischief swirled in their eyes. "Your real smile is rare but...I like seeing it."

He blinked, blushed slightly at the compliment. "And if I manage to draw more people in, I win?"

"Exactly! Loser pays for takeout from the winner's choice of locale."

Keith considered this. He held out his hand. "Deal."

Pidge shook his hand. Win or lose, they were sure this would be fun.

* * *

 

They were horribly, terribly wrong.

Sure, the cafe was bustling with people and life but it seemed like Pidge could only hear the comments directed at Keith.

"Ooh, hey sweetie, bring a little of that sugar my way, hmm?" A gaggle of slightly older women laughed amongst themselves. They were stunned into silence when Keith brought over actual sugar. He flashed them his best imitation of his real smile which...was pretty damn effective. No one at the table was able to say anything but thank you.

Keith then darted over to a table where a handsome young man smiled at him. "You busy after work, hot stuff?"

"Yep." He smiled at the man who swooned and let out a tiny and disappointed sigh. 

"A shame then."

Before Keith could ask why, another group of customers entered. Keith turned and grinned at them, a bit of playfulness in his expression. They immediately burst out into giggles as Shiro found them seats. Pidge also blushed from the counter.

"Hey, gorgeous, are you on the menu~?"

"No, why would I be?"

Pidge could only stare over at Keith. THey sighed and slumped against the counter. It was going to be a long, long day. Shiro sidled up to them as he grabbed more menus.

"Seems like he's a real hit!" Shiro grinned at them.

Pidge sighed. "Don't remind me."


End file.
